
; > • 


UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION 

WASHINGTON 

i , * ' 'V Y 

. 

Tariff Information Series—No. 18 

" r ( 

Barytes, Barium Chemical, 
and Lithopone Industries 

Including 

Costs of Production, 1919 


I v 



WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1920 


Monograph 









UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION 

ii 


WASHINGTON 


Tariff Information Series—No. 18 


Barytes, Barium Chemical, 
and Lithopone Industries 

Including 

Costs of Production, 1919 



WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT I’RINTING OFFICE 
1920 










A 


<b 




UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION. 

Office: 1322 New York Avenue, Washington, D. C. 

COMMISSIONERS. 

Thomas Walker Page, Chairman. 

David J. Lewis. 

William S. Culbertson. 

Edward P. Costigan. 


2 


John F. Bethune, Secretary. 


o. of 

SEP 23 J92Q 


ADDITIONAL COPIES 

OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 

AT 

* 15 CENTS PER COPY 

V 








CONTENTS 





\ 




Tage. 

Introduction _ 5 

Part I.—Summary of the Barytes, Barium Chemical, and Lithopone 

Industries. 


Paragraphs 10, 51, and 61 of the tariff act of 1913_ 9 

Barytes _ 9 

Barium chemicals_ 11 

Lithopone _ 12 


Part II.-— The Barytes Industry. 

Description and uses___ 

Domestic production : 

Production and consumption_ 

Geographical distribution_ 

Mining of barytes_ 

Manufacture of ground barytes_ 

Methods of marketing crude barytes_ 

Freight rates on crude barytes__ 

Extent of barytes deposits_ 

Production in foreign countries: 

Germany _ 

United Kingdom _ 

Other foreign countries_ 

Imports into the United States___ 

Prices: 

United States_ 

United Kingdom_ 

Germany _ 

Competitive conditions: 

The situation prior to the war-- 

The present situation- 

Tariff history__ 

Construction of the law_ 

Part III.— The Barium Chemical Industry. 

Description and uses- 

Domestic production : 

Production and consumption- 

Process of manufacture- 

Foreign production (Germany)- 

Imports into the United States- 

Prices (United States)- 

Tariff history- 


IT 


19 

21 

24 

25 

25 

26 
27 


28 


29 

39 

31 

32 

33 

34 


35 

35 

36 
36 


41 

43 

44 

46 

47 

49 

50 


3 



































4 


CONTENTS. 




Part IV.—The Lithopone Industry. 


Description and uses_ 

Domestic production : 

Raw materials_ 

Process of manufacture_ 

Production and consumption 

Geographical distribution_ 

Foreign production (Germany) _ 

Imports into the United States_ 

Prices: 

Domestic _ 

Foreign _ 

Tariff history_ 


Page. 


5?, 


54 

54 

56 

58 

58 

59 


59 

60 
60 


Part V.— Costs of Production in tiie Barytes, Barium Chemical, and 

LiTHoroNE Industries, 1919. 


Summary of costs_ 63 

Costs of mining barytes, 1916 and 1919: 

Introductory_1___ 64 

Comparison of costs in western and southern mines_1_ 65 

Costs in western mines_ 66 

Costs in southern mines_ 68 

Costs of manufacturing ground barytes, 1914, 1916, and 1919: 

Introductory_ 71 

Comparison of costs for 1914, 1916, and 1919_ 71 

Detail of costs of ground barytes, by companies_ 72 

Costs of manufacturing barium chemicals, 1919: 

Introductory_ 75 

Comparison of costs of barium chemicals_ 75 

Variations in costs of barium chemicals, by companies_ 77 

Cost of manufacturing lithopone, 1919: 

Introductory_ 80 

Comparison of cost of lithopone, by quarters_1_ 80 

A^ariations in costs of lithopone, by companies_ 85 

Details of material costs_ 87 

Details of factory overhead charges_ 88 

Details of special charges- 90 





























INTRODUCTION. 


This pamphlet is a survey of existing conditions in the barytes, 
barium chemical, and lithopone industries, with special reference to 
the role of the tariff in their development in the United States. It 
includes a study of the costs of production in the three related 
industries. 

The report as presented is divided into five parts, as follows: 

I. Summary of the barytes , barium chemical , and lithopone indus¬ 
tries. —This cites the provisions in the tariff act of 1913 covering the 
articles discussed in the report and presents the salient competitive 
conditions relating to the three allied industries. 

II. The barytes industry. —This chapter discusses the trade sta¬ 
tistics of the barytes industry, the principal producing countries, 
recent developments in the domestic industry, and the relation of 
the barytes industry to the barium chemical and lithopone industries. 

III. The barium chemical industry. —Our prewar dependence on 
imports of this class of chemical salts and the establishment of an 
industry in this country during the war are discussed in detail. 

TV. The lithopone industry. —The dependence of this industry on 
imported barytes prior to the war, the effect of the lithopone indus¬ 
try on the development of domestic deposits of barytes, and the 
requirements of the lithopone industry are pointed out. 

Y. Costs of production in the barytes , barium chemical , and 
lithopone industries. —This chapter gives in considerable detail the 
cost of producing crude barytes in western and southern mines in 
1916 and 1919; the cost of producing ground barytes in 1914, 1916, 
and 1919, and of barium chemicals and lithopone in 1919. 


In the preparation of this report the Tariff Commission had the 
services of C. R. DeLong, G. P. Comer, and E. M. Whitcomb, of the 
Commission’s staff. 


5 


























. 























Jill 





s * 



U,it% 




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PART I 


SUMMARY OF THE BARYTES, RARIUM CHEMICAL 
AND LITHOPONE INDUSTRIES 


7 


» 




































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. 


















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PART I. 


SUMMARY OF THE BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICAL, AND 

LITHOPONE INDUSTRIES. 


The articles discussed in this report are provided for as follows 
in the tariff act of October 3, 1913: 

10. Barium, chloride of, l cent per pound; dioxide of, 1^ cents per pound; 
carbonate of, precipitated, 15 per centum ad valorem. 

51. Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, including barytes earth, unmanufactured, 
15 per centum ad valorem; manufactured, 20 per centum ad valorem; blanc- 
fixe, or artificial sulphate of .barytes, * * * 20 per centum ad valorem. 

61. * * * lithopone and white sulphide of zinc, 15 per centum ad valorem. 

BARYTES. 

The source of barium is the naturally occurring minerals—barytes 
(barium sulphate) and witherite (barium carbonate). Metallic 
barium is, at present, of no industrial importance. The barium com¬ 
pounds manufactured from these minerals, by chemical processes, 
constitute an important class of commercial articles. Barytes, the 
more widely distributed ore, is the one generally used. England and 
Germany possess, in addition to barytes, deposits of witherite, which 
can be mined economically, and a small portion of the demand is 
supplied by this mineral. Barytes, on account of its whiteness, high 
specific gravity, and chemical inertness, is used in the ground form 
chiefly as a filler in paints, paper, linoleum, and rubber goods. Its 
use as a raw material in the manufacture of the pigment, lithopone, 
and the various barium chemicals is important. In 1917, with a 
maximum consumption of barytes, about 43 per cent was used in the 
manufacture of lithopone, 25 per cent in barium chemicals, and the 
remainder in ground barytes. Witherite is used chiefly as a filler in 
rubber goods and in the manufacture of barium chemicals. 

Prior to the war the domestic barytes industry supplied from 55 
to 65 per cent of the consumption (80,000 tons in 1913) of crude 
barytes in the United States. Lithopone was then the only product 
manufactured in this country on a large scale from crude barytes 
by chemical processes, and the barytes necessary for its production 
was imported, chiefly from Germany. Before the war Germany was 
the largest producer of barytes, with an output of about 300,000 

9 



10 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

short tons a year. Great Britain ranked second and tlie United 
States third. The domestic production of crude barytes, under war 
conditions, increased fourfold, from about 50,000 tons in 1914 to 
over 200,000 tons in both 191G and 1917. The production of the 
United States is now second only to Germany’s prewar output. The 
production of crude barytes in this country during the war was 
sufficient to meet domestic requirements. 

The domestic industry prior to the war was localized; about 65 
per cent of the output of crude barytes was mined in Missouri and 
supplied mid-western manufacturers of ground barytes. During 
the war the increased domestic demand was met largely by the 
development of southern deposits of barytes in Georgia, Tennessee, 
and Kentucky, and by a doubling of production in Missouri, the 
greatest (State) production shifted from Missouri to Georgia in 
1916. Since 1915 Georgia has supplied about 50 per cent of the total 
domestic output. The industry as it now exists is in two distinct 
localities—(1) the middle western district, represented chiefly by 
Missouri, and (2) the southern district, represented chiefly by Geor¬ 
gia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. In addition to these two producing 
localities, there are two principal markets for crude barytes—the At¬ 
lantic coast market (from Baltimore to New York) and the middle 
western market (St. Louis and Chicago). The western producers 
and consumers are little affected by a tariff on crude barytes. On 
the other hand, eastern consumers of barytes before the war secured 
their supplies chiefly from Germany. Since the cessation of imports 
the Atlantic coast market has been supplied with crude barytes from 
the southern producing district, because of the differential in freight 
rates of $1.24 a short ton (May 29, 1920) in favor of this district 
over the middle western district. This localization of the industry 
complicates the tariff problems. 

Prior to the war domestic ground barytes produced in the middle 
western district was able to compete in the Atlantic coast market with 
imported ground barytes under the duty of $5.25 per ton (act of 
1909). At that time foreign competition was chiefly in the crude 
grade, imports of ground barytes being only about 15 per cent of the 
imports of the crude. During the war middle western ground 
barytes continued to supply a large part of the Atlantic coast market, 
notwithstanding the advantage of the southern district in freight 
rates. This may be accounted for by the fact that the middle western 
ore is a softer variety and grinds easier, and by the circumstance 
that the southern deposits were developed primarily to supply the 
raw material requirements of the eastern lithopone and barium 
chemical manufacturers. The producers in the southern district are 
therefore particularly interested in maintaining the eastern market 
for crude barytes, while the middle western producers are more in- 


SUMMARY. 


11 


terested in retaining this same market for ground barytes. The sit¬ 
uation in regard to an outlet for middle western crude barytes has 
been improved during the war by the establishment in the Middle 
West of lithopone plants, which require crude barytes as their raw 
material. 

The extent and availability of deposits in the United States are 
important factors in connection with the tariff. Unfortunately, 
little definite, official information is available, and owing to the 
general nature of deposits it would be practically impossible to 
arrive at an accurate estimate of the total domestic resources. Under 
the stimulus of war conditions the domestic production supplied the 
entire domestic consumption. The possibility of increasing the 
present output of barytes appears to be most promising in the 
Georgia and Tennessee districts. These districts seem to contain 
large quantities of ore and could probably be developed to meet an 
increased demand of eastern manufacturers. In these districts, how¬ 
ever, geological and geographical disadvantages will probably hinder 
domestic barytes from competing on even terms in the Atlantic coast 
market with crude barytes imported from Germany. 

BARIUM CHEMICALS. 

The barium chemicals discussed in this report include the barium 
salts mentioned in paragraph 10, and blanc fixe in paragraph 51, 
of the act of 1913, as well as other barium salts not mentioned 
specifically in the tariff. These chemicals, which are made either 
from barytes or witherite, have important industrial uses. The most 
important are as follows: blanc fixe, or precipitated barium sul¬ 
phate (which is practically identical with ground barytes in chem¬ 
ical composition, but different in physical properties), used as an 
inert filler or pigment where a pure white product is necessary; 
barium carbonate , used chiefly in ceramics in the manufacture of 
enamel ware and some kinds of optical glass; barium chloride , used 
principally in the manufacture of blanc fixe and color lakes; and 
barium dioxide , used as the raw material for the production of 
hydrogen peroxide. 

Prior to the war the United States was wholly dependent on im¬ 
ports for its supply of barium chemicals. Germany was the largest 
producer and furnished about two-thirds of the domestic require¬ 
ments. About 90 per cent of the imports in 1914 were represented by 
three barium salts—barium carbonate, barium chloride, and barium 
dioxide. The cessation of imports and the war demand for barium 
chemicals (barium nitrate, blanc fixe, and barium dioxide) resulted 
in the establishment of an industry in this country. Domestic plants 
have been located chiefly in the East and Southeast, although there 


12 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

are also plants in Ohio and Illinois. In some cases the plants have 
been located in close proximity to the domestic deposits of barytes. 
The output of barium chemicals has increased steadily each year from 
about 17,000,000 pounds in 1915 to over 46,000,000 pounds in 1918. 
The principal salts produced are blanc fixe, barium carbonate, and 
barium chloride, in the order of production in 1918. The domestic 
production of 46,000,000 pounds in 1918 may be compared with an 
importation in 1914 of 19,000,000 pounds in order to show the in¬ 
creased consumption of barium chemicals in the United States. 

The chief markets for barium chemicals are in the East, and with 
normal conditions restored, the industry will be subjected to competi¬ 
tion in these markets from imported barium chemicals. Eastern 
plants are so situated that they can use either imported or domestic 
barytes as the raw material. Those plants located close to the south¬ 
ern barytes deposits and in the Middle West will depend largely 
on domestic barytes. It is evident that a duty on barium chemicals 
should be considered in conjunction with a duty on the raw material, 
barytes. 

LITHOPONE. 

Lithopone, a white pigment, is a mixture consisting of about 70 
per cent of barium sulphate and about 30 per cent of zinc sulphide. 
When first introduced, lithopone was known as “ white sulphide of 
zinc,' 1 but this term, although retained in the tariff of 1913^ is no 
longer in general use. Lithopone is used extensively in flat and 
enamel wall paints and as an inert filler in rubber goods, paper, 
linoleum, oilcloth, and window-shade cloth. 

The raw materials for the manufacture of lithopone include 
barytes, coal or coke, zinc, and sulphuric acid. Prior to the war 
the entire lithopone industry was located along the Atlantic coast 
at or within a short distance of tidewater. The barytes require¬ 
ments of the industry were supplied by imports, chiefly from Ger¬ 
many, at a cost less than the price at which domestic barytes could 
be purchased. War conditions forced lithopone manufacturers to 
develop southern deposits of barytes in order to have a supply of 
raw material. At the same time the manufacture of lithopone was 
started in the Middle West, thereby utilizing locally available crude 
barytes. An adequate supply of barytes is essential to the lithopone 
industry and should be given attention in considering duties on 
crude barytes and lithopone. 

From 1910 to 1919 the domestic production of lithopone increased 
nearly sixfold, or from 25,000,000 pounds to about 145,000,000 
pounds. The output during this period supplied from 84 to 100 per 
cent of the domestic consumption. On a basis of the 1919 produc¬ 
tion, about 80 per cent of the lithopone is produced in the Atlantic 


SUMMARY. 


13 


■coast district. The imports of litliopone have been small; the 
maximum importation was 7,500,000 pounds in 1914, compared with 
a domestic production the same year of about 65,600,000 pounds. 
Although there has been no official report of exports, it is known 
that a considerable export trade in litliopone has been developed 
during 1920. 

Since barytes is one of their raw materials, litliopone manufac¬ 
turers are naturally interested in obtaining a supply at the low¬ 
est possible cost, and they generally favor a low duty on crude 
barytes. Barytes enters into the cost of litliopone to the extent 
of about 14 per cent of the total factory cost, as shown under the 
cost of production on page 87. The effect of an increase or de¬ 
crease in the cost of barytes, due to tariff influences or other causes, 
on the total cost of litliopone can, therefore, be calculated. Theo¬ 
retically, any duty on litliopone should be compensatory of the 
duty on crude barytes to the extent revealed by the percentage 
of total cost given above. There are other factors entering into 
a consideration of the bearing of the tariff on litliopone, such as 
the competition between litliopone and other paint pigments. 




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PART II 


THE BARYTES INDUSTRY 






































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PART II. 


THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 

DESCRIPTION AND USES. 

Barium occurs in nature as the minerals—barytes (barium sul¬ 
phate) and witherite (barium carbonate). The chemical compounds 
manufactured from these raw materials constitute an important class 
of commercial articles. Barytes is the more widely distributed ore 
and is the one generally used in the United States. The United 
Kingdom and Germany also possess witherite deposits which are 
used in the manufacture of barium chemicals. Barytes, also known 
as “barite,'’ “heavy spar,” and “tiff,” is composed chiefly of barium 
sulphate (BaS0 4 ). When pure it consists of 65.7 per cent of barium 
oxide (BaO) and 34.3 per cent of sulphur trioxide (S0 3 ). It is usu¬ 
ally a white, opaque or translucent mineral, but it is also found stained 
pink or brown owing to the presence of oxides of iron. The com¬ 
mercial grades of crude barytes contain from 90 to 95 per cent of 
barium sulphate. Crude barytes is graded according to the amount 
and kinds of impurities which it contains; particular attention is 
paid to the content of iron, lead, zinc, and silica. In trade two types 
of crude barytes are recognized, the “ hard crystalline ” variety and 
the “ soft ” variety. The former has a glassy appearance and can not 
be broken in the hand, while the soft variety has a milky appearance 
and can be easily crumbled. The soft type is preferred by the 
grinders, as it gives the highest grade of ground barytes because of 
its texture and because the impurities are such that they can be dis¬ 
solved and eliminated by an acid bath. This grade is not so hard on 
the ^rinding machinery and is said to roast better than the hard 
variety. The hard variety can be used to better advantage in the 
lithopone and barium chemical industries than in the manufacture 
of ground barytes. Both the hard and soft barytes are found in this 
country. That found in Missouri is a soft friable ore. The barytes 
found in the Cartersville (Ga.) district is a hard crystalline ore. 
Both types are found in the Sweetwater (Tenn.) fields, the soft 
ore approaching the Missouri ore and the hard ore closely resembling 
the Cartersville ore. 

The commercial uses of barytes, as such, are largely dependent on 
the fact that it is a heavy, white mineral, chemically inert, and com¬ 
paratively cheap. The market price of crude barytes depends to a 

2 17 


477°— 20 



18 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

large extent on the ease with which it can be ground, and that of 
ground barytes depends on color, fineness of grinding, and to some 
• extent on its chemical purity. 

Barytes as it enters commerce may be distinguished as follows: 

1. Crude barytes, barytes ore, or “ tiff,’ 1 as it is knowm locally in 
Missouri, is the natural mineral in the condition in which it is mined, 
or after it has been washed and jigged to remove earthy and mineral 
impurities. This grade of barytes is used as the raw material for the 
manufacture of ground barytes, barium chemicals, and lithopone. 

2. Ground barytes is the crude ore which has been washed, jigged, 
and ground very fine. If the natural mineral is of the desired degree 
of whiteness, which is rarely the case in this country, it receives no 
further treatment than grinding. Ground barytes which is not pure 
white may be sold as ground barytes “ off color ” or “ unbleached.” 
This grade is used for dark-colored paints and as a filler by the paper 
industry, chiefly in the manufacture of heavy, stiff materials such as 
playing cards and Bristol boards. Ground barytes which is not pure 
white in color may be bleached by means of sulphuric acid which 
dissolves and removes the iron. This grade of ground barytes is 
known as “ prime white ” or “ floated ” barytes. It is used as a pig¬ 
ment in white paints and as a filler in paper, rubber goods, “ arti¬ 
ficial ivory,” and for other purposes where a white, inert pigment or 
filler is desired. 

Blanc fixe is precipitated barium sulphate produced by treating a 
solution of a barium salt with sodium sulphate (salt cake). This 
product, while having the same chemical composition, is different 
in physical properties from ground barytes. It is essentially a 
manufactured product and is therefore discussed under the barium 
chemical industry. (See p. 41.) 

Barytes is the only domestic source of barium products. There is, 
however, a small quantity of witherite imported, which is used in 
the manufacture of barium chemicals. Witherite is a naturally 
occurring mineral composed chiefly of barium carbonate (BaCO s ). 
When pure it contains 77.6 per cent of barium oxide. Witherite has 
about the same hardness and specific gravity as barytes. It is easily 
decomposed by acids, which fact gives it advantages over barytes in 
the manufacture of certain barium chemicals. It is also used as an 
inert filler in the rubber industry. In England it is reported to be 
used chiefly for manufacturing barium chemicals, and it is also used 
in Germany for this purpose. 

Table 1 shows the distribution of crude barytes according to 
the three principal consuming industries—ground barytes, litho¬ 
pone, and barium chemicals. The total in this table does not 
necessarily correspond with the total production as some minor 
uses are not included and discrepancies may also be accounted for by 


THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


19 


stocks in manufacturers’ hands. The decrease in the consumption 
of crude barytes in 1918 is accounted for chiefly by a decrease in the 
quantity of crude barytes consumed in the manufacture of barium 
chemicals. 

Table 1 . —Crude barytes used in the manufacture of barium products. 


[From Mineral Resources, IT. S. Geological Survey.] 


Calendar year. 

For 

barium 

chemicals. 

For 

ground 

barytes. 

For 

lithopone. 

Total. 

1915. 

Short tons. 
10,216 
38,283 
49,842 
38,041 
27,696 

Short tons. 
53,903 
75,507 
60,132 
60,460 
63,051 

Short tons. 
44,503 
71,898 
86,065 
85,282 
103,968 

Short tons. 
108,622 
185,688 
196,039 
183,783 
194,715 

1916. 

1917. 

1918. 

1919i. 



1 Preliminary figures furnished by courtesy of the U. S. Geological Survey, subject to revision. 


As can be seen from Table 1, the manufacture of lithopone and 
barium chemicals is an important outlet for crude barytes. In 1917, 
with a maximum consumption of crude barytes, the lithopone in¬ 
dustry required about 43 per cent and the barium chemical industry 
about 25 per cent of the total quantity of crude barytes consumed in 
the United States. Figure 1 shows graphically the consumption of 
crude barytes by industries. 

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION. 

Production and consumption .—From 35 to 45 per cent of the 
domestic consumption of crude barytes prior to 1914 was imported 
chiefly from Germany. The imported product supplied the Atlantic 
coast market as it could be obtained at a cost less than that of 
domestic crude barytes. Prior to the war about 65 per cent of the 
domestic output of crudg barytes was from Missouri and supplied 
the mid-western market for ground barytes. It has been estimated 
that about 50 per cent of the ground barytes manufactured in the 
mid-western district was prior to the war, and still is. shipped to 
and consumed in the Atlantic coast market. Foreign competition 
before the war was chiefly in crude barytes; this is evident from 
import statistics, whicli show an importation of only about one- 
seventh as much ground or manufactured as of crude barytes. 

The great increase in the domestic production of crude barytes, 
beginning in the year 1915, was due partly to the cutting oft of the 
foreign supply of barytes and barium chemicals. War conditions 
forced eastern manufacturers in the United States to seek a domestic 
supply of their raw material, and resulted in the establishment in 
this country of a barium chemical industry. There was also, how- 



















20 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 



F/GURE 1 —Domestic Consumption 
Of Barytes By Industries 

/ 9! 5"~ JO/O 

JL/thoponz Y/////A Ground Barytes 
1 1 DpiVuuM Chemicals- 


zoo 


zoo 


ISO 


too 


so 


Calendar Years 


* 1919 - Based Oh PReuMinfyTZY F/oumis 


C. T?-2J. Jr-26-ZO. 







































THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


21 


ever, a natural development due to the increased demand for barytes 
in the manufacture of lithopone and to the greater use of ground 
barytes and blanc fixe, particularly in the rubber industry. This 
increase places the United States second as a producer of crude 
barytes with an output approaching that of Germany prior to the 
war. 

The domestic output of crude barytes increased about fourfold 
from 1914 to 1916, or from 52,747 short tons to 221,952 short tons. 
The 1918 production shows a 25 per cent decrease from the output 
in 1917. Preliminary figures for 1919 indicate an increase in produc¬ 
tion to about 190,000 tons. Table 2 shows the domestic sales, im¬ 
ports, and apparent, consumption of crude barytes. The same data 
are shown graphically in Figure 2. 


Table 2.— Apparent consumption of crude barytes in the United States , 

1910-1919. 

[From Mineral Resources, U. S. Geological Survey.] 


Calendar 

year. 

Sales of 
domestic 
barytes. 

Imports 
for con¬ 
sumption. 

Apparent 

consump¬ 

tion. 

Calendar 

year. 

Sales of 
domestic 
barytes. 

Imports 
for con¬ 
sumption. 

Apparent 

consump¬ 

tion. 

1910. 

Short tons. 
42,975 
38,445 
37,478 
45,298 
52,747 

Short tons. 
21,270 
20,214 
26,186 
35,840 
24,423 

Short tons. 
64,245 
58,659 
63,664 
81,138 
77,170 

1915. 

Short tons. 
108,547 
221,952 
206,888 
155,368 
i 190,000 

Short tons. 
2,504 
17 

6 

Short tons. 
111,051 
221,969' 
206,894 
155,368 
190,118 

1911. 

1916. 

1912. 

1917. 

1913. 

1918. 

1914. 

1919. 

118 




1 Preliminary figure furnished by courtesy of the U. S. Geological Survey, subject to 
revision. 


Geographical distribution .—Until 1915 about 65 per cent of the 
domestic output of crude barytes was mined in the State of Missouri. 
This location of the domestic barytes mining industry was due, as 
has been pointed out, to domination of the eastern markets by im¬ 
ported crude barytes. Conditions brought about by war caused a 
marked change in the domestic industry. In 1915 the output of 
crude barytes in Georgia about equaled that of Missouri, and in 
1916 Georgia became the chief producing State, with a production 
nearly twice that of Missouri, although the production of Missouri 
had almost doubled. Since 1915 Georgia has contributed about 50 
per cent of the total domestic production. The shifting of the great¬ 
est production of crude barytes from Missouri to Georgia was due 
to the cessation of imports of barytes and barium chemicals from 
Germany, lower freight rates to eastern factories making lithopone 
and barium chemicals, and the geological character of the deposits 
which permitted mining by means of the steam shovel. 

War developments, although greatly increasing the output and 
consumption of crude barytes, still leave the industry divided be¬ 
tween two distinct localities—(1) the middle western district, with 
Missouri as the chief producer, and (2) the southern district, repre- 




























22 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


Figure Z .— Consumption Of Baryte5 
In The United States 

1910-1919 

P1I1115 Imports 1 1 Domestic Sales 


zoo— 


/so 


1919 - Biased O/v R?£L/m/w«y Fiovres 


CO 

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AC 

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V) 

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<0 

K 

a 

o 

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5 


W) 

* 

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to 


s 

K 

0 

* 


to 

K* 

fc 

o 

ft. 

$ 

n 

0 

£ 


% 

£ 

Q0 


a 


200 


/^ro 


/OO 


SO 


<0 fc " 

S N 

Q> 0> 

~ -» ” s, ^ 

Calendar Yeaks 


ao 

Q> 


3 

S 

** 


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cn.z>. s-z 7 -zo. 
















































THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


23 


sented chiefly by Georgia and to a lesser extent by Tennessee and 
Kentucky. The western district supplies lithopone manufacturers in 
the St. Louis and Chicago districts as well as local manufacturers 
of ground barytes who ship about one-half of their output into east¬ 
ern markets. \ ery little crude barytes from the middle western 
district is shipped to eastern markets, because of disadvantages as 
to freight charges. The southern district supplies crude barytes to 
eastern manufacturers of lithopone who formerly obtained this raw 
material chiefly from Germany, and also supplies the requirements 
of the new barium chemical industry which has been developed since 
the beginning of the war to supply chemicals formerly obtained by 
importation. 

Table 3 shows the production of crude barytes by States since 1910. 

Table 3. —Production of crude barytes, by States, 1910-1918. 


[From Mineral Resources, U. S. Geological Survey. 


State. 

1910 

1911 

1912 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Missouri. 

Tennessee... 

Kentucky. 

Short tons 
22,978 

} 6,503 

13,494 

$75,598 
13,348 
32,800 

Short tons.’ 
21,500 

8,819 

8,126 

$81,380 

20,053 

21,359 

Short tons. 

24,530 
| 3,718 

$117,035 
8,682 

All other. 

Total. 

9,230 

27,596 

42,975 

121,746 

38,445 

122,792 

37,478 

153,313 

State. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Alabama.. 

Short tons. 


Short tons. 


Short tons. 
(') 

0) 

31,027 
7, 753 
39,113 
0) 

25,074 
5,580 

0) 

0) 

$102,825 

28,427 

158,597 

C 1 ) 

71,290 

19,793 

Colorado. 




Georgia. 





Kentucky. 





Missouri. 

North Carolina. 

31,131 

$117,638 

33,317 

$112,231 

' Tennessee. 

All other. 

Total. 

2,098 

12,069 

3,568 

35,069 

10,113 

9,317 

16,273 
27,143 

45,298 

156,275 

52,747 

155,647 

108,547 

381,032 


State. 

1916 

1917 

1918 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Alabama. 

Col ora,do 

Short tons. 
7,631 
481 
104,784 
11,068 
58,223 
878 
32,416 
6,471 

$27,198 
3,005 
401,295 
54,995 
365,111 
3,246 
123,986 
32,396 

Short tons. 
1,976 

$8,868 

Short tons. 
1,794 

$9,976 

Georgia. 

Kentucky. 

Missouri. 

North Carolina. 

Tennessee. 

All other. 

Total. 

111,300 
6,720 
59,046 
1,019 
16,972 
9,855 

601,895 
36,084 
391,363 
5,080 
79,058 
48,836 

69,318 

0) 

49,094 

(>) 

22,542 
12,620 

418,178 

0) 

393,73S 
0) 

141,844 

81,169 

221,952 

1,011,232 

206,888 

1,171,184 

155,368 

1,044,905 


1 Included in “All other.” 








































































































24 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

Mining of barytes .—The method of mining crude barytes in the 
two domestic producing districts varies greatly, although in both 
the mining is a surface operation. In the Missouri district the 
mining is all done by pick and shovel, while in the southern district 
it is largely done by means of steam shovels, which permit of larger- 
scale operations. 

In Missouri the crude barytes or “ tiff,” which is the local name, 
is mined chiefly by individuals on a small scale, because of the charac¬ 
ter of the deposits, which are pockets near the surface and which 
are scattered over a large area. It is doubtful whether the character 
of the deposits in Missouri will justify modern methods of mining,, 
such as the use of steam shovel followed by log washing. The gen¬ 
eral method is to sink a shallow pit about 4 feet in diameter, raise 
the ore by windlass, and then spread it out to dry in order to loosen 
adhering clay. The dried ore is then placed in a “ rattler,” which 
is a wooden box with holes in the bottom. This removes the clay and 
small pieces of ore. If the crude barytes has quartz or iron minerals 
adhering to it, these are removed by hand by means of a small 
liatchet-like tool. After the ore is cleaned it is placed in stock piles, 
until it can be hauled to the railroad for shipment. 

The southern barytes deposits have been developed on a more ex¬ 
tensive scale than those of the Missouri district. In many cases the 
large consumers of crude barytes in the East have developed deposits 
to supply their own requirements. In all of these large-scale de¬ 
velopments the barytes is mined by means of the steam shovel. The 
barytes deposits in the southern districts, as a rule, are more evenly 
distributed than in the Missouri district, which permits economical 
mining by means of steam shovels. Developments on a smaller scale 
in the southern field involve dry mining with picks and shovels in 
open cuts. When the steam shovel is used the ore-bearing material 
is loaded into dump cars and hauled a short distance to the washing 
tflant. Here it is “ log washed ” to remove clay and earthy impuri¬ 
ties. It is then passed over a revolving screen. The small pieces 
which pass through the screen are “jigged” to remove chert and 
other foreign minerals, while the large material goes on to a “ picking 
belt,” where the foreign rock material is picked out by workmen who 
stand beside the traveling belt. The washed and cleaned ore is con¬ 
veyed to storage bins for shipment as crude barytes or is subjected to' 
grinding. The proportion of barytes in ore-bearing material in the 
southern district usually runs from 20 to 35 per cent. 

The difference in the methods used in mining barytes in the Mis¬ 
souri district and the southern district is reflected in the capital in¬ 
vestment. In Missouri very little capital outlay is necessary. The 
equipment required by a miner is simply a pick and shovel and a 


THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


25 


windlass. The larger firms, however, have an additional capital in¬ 
vestment in houses for the miners, which are furnished free of charge. 
In the southern district a considerable initial capital investment in 
steam shovels and washing equipment is necessary before the deposits 
can be worked economically. 

Manufacture of ground barytes .—The preparation of ground 
barytes varies in the different plants and according to the condition 
of the crude ore. The general practice, however, is to crush the ore 
to about 1 inch and by log washing to remove clay and earthy ma¬ 
terial if the crude ore has not already been treated in this manner. 
The cleaned material is then ground fine, usually in tube mills. The 
ground barytes suspended in water is either run over classifying 
screens or water floated to separate any coarse particles. The finely 
ground barytes is then usually bleached by washing with sulphuric 
acid, which removes stains due to oxides of iron. The bleached 
product is then washed several times with water, after which it 
is dried, pulverized, and packed either in barrels or bags. Very 
little labor is used in the process of grinding after the ore is shoveled 
into the first crusher and until it reaches the packing room. The 
barytes is conveyed mechanically or pumped suspended in water. 

Methods of marketing crude barytes .—The method of marketing 
crude barytes in the United States varies greatly between the south¬ 
ern and western fields. In Missouri some of the crude barytes (tiff) 
passes through two and sometimes three hands before it reaches the 
consumer. The miner sells to a local dealer, usually a storekeeper in 
return for goods. This buyer sells to a larger buyer having access 
to the railroad, who in turn sells to the consumer. It is seldom that 
the consumer deals directly with the miners. In recent years, how¬ 
ever, there has been a tendency on the part of the large consumers of 
barytes in Missouri to buy up the Missouri ore-producing lands. At 
the present time two St. Louis firms have large holdings in the Mis- 
- souri fields. These firms have local agents who deal directly with 
the miners on a tonnage basis. The centralization of the industry 
thus permits of more direct contact between the consumer and the 
producer. 

In the southern fields the methods of marketing are just the re¬ 
verse of those in the Missouri fields. Many of the deposits are 
worked by the manufacturers of barium chemicals and litliopone, 
although some of them have crude barytes to sell. Many of the 
miners sell direct to the consumers of crude barytes. This difference 
is due to the sudden shutting off of imports by the war which forced 
the eastern manufacturers of barium products to seek a domestic 
supply and resulted in the development of deposits by the manu¬ 
facturers themselves. 


26 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

In the Missouri district crude barytes is sold on the basis of the 
short ton (2,000 pounds), while in the southern district the long ton 
(2,240 pounds) is used in all transactions in crude barytes. 

Freight rates on crude barytes . 1 —The average freight rate on crude 
barytes from the Cartersville, Ga., district to eastern lithopone manu¬ 
facturers is $4.45 per short ton. This average is made up of rates 
ranging from a low rate of $3.75 to Baltimore, Md., and a high rate 
of $4.73 to Newark, N. J., Grasselli, N. J., Newport, Del., and Pal- 
merton, Pa. 

The average freight rate from the Sweetwater, Tenn., district to east¬ 
ern lithopone manufacturers is $4.47 per short ton, or practically the 
same as the average freight rate from the Cartersville district. This 
average is made up of rates varying from a minimum of $3.75 to 
Baltimore and a maximum of $4.82 to Newark, Grasselli, and Pal- 
merton. Although the average freight rates from Sweetwater and 
Cartersville to eastern lithopone manufacturers are practically the 
same, there is little uniformity in rates to given points. In some cases 
the rate from Sweetwater is higher than the rate from Cartersville 
and sometimes lower. 

The average freight rate from St. Louis, which may be taken as 
the shipping point for the Missouri district, to eastern manufacturers 
of lithopone, is $5.69 per short ton. This, compared with the rates 
from Cartersville and Sweetwater, gives the southern district an 
advantage in transportation charges to the eastern lithopone district 
of $1.24 per short ton. The difference in rates has prevented 
active competition between southern and western crude barytes in 
the eastern markets. Missouri ore, in order to compete in these mar¬ 
kets, would have to absorb the freight differential of $1.24 in lower 
prices for crude barytes f. o. b. St. Louis. 

Table 4 shows the freight rates on crude barytes from the principal 
producing points to the principal consuming points. 

Table 4. —Freight rates on crude barytes per short ton in carload lots. 


[Compiled from files of Interstate Commerce Commission as of May 26, 1920. Rates are current all rail 

and commodity rates, unless noted.] 


To— 

From Car¬ 
tersville, Ga., 
minimum 
carload of 
60,000 pounds. 

From Sweet¬ 
water, Tenn., 
minimum 
carload of 
60,000 pounds. 

From St. 
Louis, Mo., 
minimum 
carload of 
40,000 pounds. 

Camden, N. J. 

84.29 
4.73 


$5.60 
6.00 
6.00 
5.60 
5.40 
5.60 
2.10 
5.60 

Newark, N. J.•_ 

84.82 
4. 82 

Grasselli, N. J. 

4.73 

Newport, Del. 

4.73 

3.75 

4.29 

2 3.75 

Baltimore, Md. 

Palmerton, Pa. 

4.73 

4. 82 

Chicago, Ill. 

3 5. 54 

4 4.46 

Philadelphia, Pa. 

4.29 

4.29 



1 Rates used in this discussion obtaining on May 26,1920. 

2 From Reagan, Tenn. 


3 Ohio River combination. 

4 Minimum carload weight 44,800 pounds. 





















THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


27 


Extent of barytes deposits in the United States .—One of the ques¬ 
tions of principal importance in considering a duty on barytes is the 
extent and availability of deposits in the United States. Under the 
stimulus of war conditions the production of barytes in the United 
States increased fourfold from 1914 to 1916, and supplied the entire 
domestic consumption. But there is very little definite information 
as to the extent of the deposits, and owing to the general nature of 
the deposits it would be practically impossible to arrive at any accu¬ 
rate estimate of the total domestic barytes resources. 

In the absence of official governmental information on the barytes 
resources of the United States, the Tariff Commission sent out ques¬ 
tionnaires to both producers and consumers of barytes requesting 
information on the extent of domestic deposits. There developed a 
distinct cleavage of opinion between the two interested groups. The 
question submitted on the subject was as follows: 

For what length of time do you consider that the barytes resources of the 
United States are capable of supplying the total domestic requirements? Give 
your reasons. 

Manufacturers of lithopone, the largest consumers of barytes, esti¬ 
mated the life of deposits which are being worked at the present time 
from a minimum of two years to a maximum of seven years. Litho¬ 
pone manufacturers were supplied prior to the war with German 
barytes at a cost less than that of domestic barytes. The following 
statements are taken from consumers’ replies to the above question: 

“A careful review of the different mining sections in the East leads us to 
believe that the new developed barytes resources are capable of supplying the 
domestic requirements for not more than two years.” 

“ From five to seven years. This statement is made after a rather exhaustive 
study of the various barytes producing districts and spending of considerable 
money in exploration work, and it is believed that practically all of the com¬ 
mercial deposits have been uncovered.” 

“At present rate of consumption the known higher grade deposits of to-day 
will be exhausted in from three to five years. Low-grade ores (90 per cent 
BaSCh) if they can be made suitable, which is questionable, could supply the 
markets for a longer period (5 to 10 years).” 

On the other hand barytes producers state that domestic deposits 
can supply the demand for an indefinite period. The following 
replies are quoted from producers of barytes: 

“ In the writer’s opinion the answer to this question as it stands would be 
‘ indefinitely,’ provided the proper stimulus was given. Barytes is one of the 
most widely distributed mineral substances that we know of. There has, 
however, up to the last few years been no incentive for the development of 
American resources, at least in what might be called the eastern seaboard 
district.” 

“ The fact that several properties have been worked for 15 years past, and 
are now only developed to a good working basis and are known to be good for 
15 to 20 years to come assures us that we are safe as to our supply.” 


28 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

“ Unlimited supply in Missouri fields * * *. Portions that have been pro¬ 

ducing for the past 40 years are still yielding good tonnage, and geologists 
estimate that the surface ore has only been touched and that heavier deposits 
lie deeper.” 

The possibility of increasing the production of barytes is more 
promising in Georgia and Tennessee than in the Missouri district. 
The first two districts seem to contain large quantities of ore and 
could probably be developed to a point where they would supply an 
increased demand of eastern manufacturers. 

Owing to geological and geographical disadvantages, the known 
domestic deposits in the southern district will probably not be able to 
compete on even terms in the Atlantic coast market with barytes im¬ 
ported from Germany. The German deposits are of vein formation 
and require only drilling and blasting to make the ore available for 
shipment. The known domestic deposits, on the other hand, are of 
such a character that the ore-bearing material, after mining, requires 
washing and mechanical separation from foreign rock material—a 
process which involves additional equipment—before the ore is ready 
to be marketed as crude barytes. Prior to the war the freight rate 
from German mines to Atlantic ports was about $3 per ton as com¬ 
pared with the freight rate from Georgia and Tennessee to the east¬ 
ern markets of about $4.45 a ton. In view of the difference in mining 
methods and the difference in freight rates, it would appear that 
competition would be difficult under normal conditions. 

In considering a dutv on barvtes the extent to which the cost of 
crude barytes enters into the cost of manufactured products should 
also be taken into account. (See pp. 72 and 87 for further discussion 
of this phase of the subject.) From the cost figures the effect which a 
decrease or increase in the cost of barvtes would have on the total 
cost of a particular product can be determined. 

PRODUCTION OF BARYTES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 

Germomy .—Germany has large deposits of crude barytes of an ex¬ 
ceedingly good grade and prior to the war was the largest producer 
of barytes and of barium chemicals. In 1913 she exported 174,235 
short tons or nearly four times as much as was produced the same 
year in this country and three times as much as was produced in the 
United Kingdom. Her production of crude barytes during 1908 was 
about 210,000 metric tons (231,000 short tons) valued at around 
2,000,000 marks (about $500,000)2 The exports of Germany as 
shown by Table 5 increased about 75,000 short tons from 1909 to 1913. 
This indicates a growth of her output, so it is reasonable to assume 
that Germany’s production of crude barytes just prior to the war was 
at least 300,000 short tons. The production in the United States 
during the war increased to a maximum of 221,952 short tons in 1916, 


1 Bartling, Dr. Richard : “ Die Schwerspatlagerstaten Deutschlands,” 1911. 




THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


29 


which gives the United States an output second only to that of 
Germany. 

Table 5, which shows the German exports and imports of barytes 
and celestite (natural strontium sulphate, which is relatively unim¬ 
portant in quantity), is indicative of the growth of the industry in 
that country. 


Table 5. — Germany's exports and imports of barytes and celestite. 1 

[From Vierteljahrshefte zur Statistik des Deutschen Reichs.] 


Y ear. 

Exports. 

Imports. 

Short tons. 

Value. 

Short tons. 

Value. 

1909 . 

QQ SI 0 

<£7n^ Qin 

iff mo 

$104,093 

1910. 

Ol v 

*5 1 UO , OlU 
7ft7 zl.QQ 

lo, 

ft Q7Q 

1911. 

141,512 
157,581 
174 235 

7ftft ftQH 

O j 1 O 
ft 797 

41, ZUv 

50,092 

199 909 

1912. 

QQ9 81ft 

Of 4 01 

on fw k 

1913. 

1,058,084 

91 A K7 

lot) f oJaI 

i 90 ino 






- 1 2T estite * s naturall y occurring strontium sulphate. It is relatively unimportant in quantity compared 
with barytes so that figures may be taken for all practical purposes as representing barytes. 


United Kingdom ?—The United Kingdom in 1919 ranked third 
in the production of crude barytes. In 1913 her production exceeded 
that of the United States by about 10,000 tons. Production, how¬ 
ever, has increased during the war more rapidly in the United States 
than in the United Kingdom, so that the output in this country in 
1917 was almost three times that of Great Britain. The United 
Kingdom, in addition to having large and valuable deposits of 
barytes, possesses deposits of witherite (barium carbonate) which 
can be mined economically- The total annual output of witherite 
in the United Kingdom since 1880 has varied between 6,000 and 
12,000 short tons, the maximum output occurring in 1910. Table 6 
gives the production, value at mine, and unit value of crude barytes 
and witherite produced in the United Kingdom. 


Table G .—Production of barytes and idtKerite in the United Kingdom. 2 3 


Year. 

Quantity 

(short 

tons). 

Value at 
mine. 

Unit value 
per short 
ton. 

Year. 

Quantity 

(short 

tons). 

Value at 
mine. 

Unit value 
per short 
ton. 

1900 . 

32,991 

$142,310.00 
135,337.00 

$4.31 

1910. 

$50,027 
49,412 

$213,083.00 
190,538.00 
191,880.00 

4.27 

1901 

30^ 927 

4.38 

1911.*_ 

3.98 

1902 

23, 441 

109, 078. 00 

4.13 

1912. 

50j 822 

3.78 

1903 

27,184 

108, 020. 00 

4.00 

1913. 

56' 050 
54,802 
09,974 

205,055. 00 
211,722. 00 

3.00 

1904 

29'480 

120,071.00 
144,130.00 

4.07 

1914. 

3.80 

1905 

32,551 

4.43 

1915. 

388,488.00 
020,435.00 
087,797.00 

5.55 

1900. 

40,034 
47,011 

171,700. 00 

4.29 

1910. 

85;158 
73,424 
74,323 

7.29 

1907 

187', 008.00 
171,403.00 
197,230. 00 

3. 98 

1917. 

9.37 

1908 . 

1909 . 

43', 021 
45, 778 

3.93 

4.22 

1918. 

( 4 ) 

(<) 


2 Abstracted from the follow ing official publications of the United Kingdom : Report of 
the Controller of the Department for Development of Mineral Resources in the United 
Kingdom, 1918, Cd. 9184 ; and Carruthers, R. G. et al.. Special Reports on the Mineral 
Resources of Great Britain, Vol. II.—Barytes and Witherite, Memoirs of the Geological 
Survey of Great Britain. 

3 From Mines and Quarries, Part III, Geenral Report, with Staitstics by Chief Inspector 
of Mines, Home Office of Great Britain. 

4 Value not available. 

































































30 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

The normal annual requirements for crude barium mineral in the 
United Kingdom amounted to about 100,000 tons. Of this quantity, 
in normal times, about 60 per cent was imported, chiefly from Ger- 
many. Prior to the war little attention was given in the United 
Kingdom to the proper treatment of the raw barytes. T he i esult 
was the domination of the British market by Germany, who pro¬ 
duced a grade of superior quality as to whiteness and fineness of 
grinding. Prior to the war the best grade of German ground barytes 
sold at about 50 shillings ($12.16), and the second grade at 30 
shillings ($7.30) per ton delivered in London. A product equal in 
quality to that formerly imported into the United Kingdom is now 
being supplied by English manufacturers. A conservative estimate 
places the quantity of high-grade barytes ore “ in sight ” in 1918 
in the United Kingdom at 500,000 tons, which is equivalent to a five- 
year supply. There are, however, many large and undeveloped 
deposits in both England and Ireland, so that requirements of the 
United Kingdom can be supplied for many years. 

About 70 per cent of the barytes consumed in the United Kingdom 
is used in the manufacture of lithopone and paints. The remainder 
is used in paper, rubber, and linoleum manufacture. Witlierite is 
used chiefly by chemical manufacturers in the production of barium 
chemicals. 

Table 7 gives the production, imports, exports, and apparent con¬ 
sumption of barytes in the United Kingdom: 


Table 7. —Apparent consumption of barytes in the United Kingdom. 


Calendar year. 

Production. 

Imports. 1 

Exports. 1 

Apparent 

consump¬ 

tion. 

1910.. 

Short tons. 
50,027 
49,412 
50,822 
56, 050 
54, 802 
69, 974 
85,158 
73, 424 
74,323 

Short tons. 
50,876 
54,054 
64,412 
61,188 
35,379 
7,937 
10,343 
1,566 
1,658 
22,972 
13, 271 

Short tons. 

12,874 

9,432 

9,933 

6,425 

3,337 

2,748 

4,733 

4,207 

1,757 

1,360 

317 

Short tons. 
88,029 
94,034 
105, 301 
110,813 
86, 844 
75,163 
90,768 
70,783 
74,224 

1911. 

1912.. 

1913. 

1914. 

1915. 

1916. 

1917. . 

1918. 

1919. 

1920 (5 months). 







i From the Annual Statement of the Trade and Commerce of the'United Kingdom. 


Other foreign countries . 2 —Other foreign countries which produce 
barytes in appreciable quantities are Belgium, Spain, France, and 
Italy. The output of Belgium has varied considerably, but may be 
taken as between 20,000 and 30,000 tons. The production of Italy 
increased during the war from 13,000 tons in 1914 to about 19,000 
tons in 1917. The production of France prior to the war was about 


2 Figures of production from Mineral Industry, New York, 1918. 





























THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


31 


12,000 tons; statistics for later years are not available. The output 
of barytes in Spain increased from 4,000 tons in 1915 to about 
10,000 tons in 1917. 


IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES. 

The imports of crude barytes were increasing prior to the war, 
and in 1914 amounted to 36,456 short tons, valued at $63,260. The 
imports of ground or manufactured barytes were considerably less 
and in 1914 had reached 6,026 short tons, valued at $42,625. Imports, 
which were almost wholly from Germany, were shut off with the out¬ 
break of the war, and there have been practically no imports of 
barytes since 1915. 

Tables 8 and 9 show the imports for consumption of crude and 
ground barytes since 1910. 


Table 8. —Imports of crude barytes for consumption in the United States, 

1910-1919. 


[Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, including barytes earth, unmanufactured.] 


Fiscal year. 

Rate of duty. 

Quantity 
(short tons). 

Value. 

Duty 

collected. 

Value per 
unit of 
quantity. 

Actual and 
computed 
ad valorem 
rate. 

19101 . 

1910 2 . 

1911. 

75 cents per ton. 

$1.50 per ton. 

.do. 

2,500 
9,395 
20,602 
23,507 
31,761 
6,680 
29,776 
10,770 
17 

$10,824 
21,286 
45,06. 
40,941 
63,345 
12,313 
50,947 
21,087 
245 

$1,674 
12,582 
27,592 
31,482 
42,537 
8,946 
7,642 
3,163 
37 

$4.33 

2.27 

2.19 

1.74 

1.99 

1.84 

1.71 

1.96 

14.41 

Per cent. 
15.47 
59.11 
61.23 
76.90 
67.15 
72.65 
15.00 
15.00 
15.00 

1912. 

.do. 

1913. 

.do. 

1914 3 . 

1914 4 . 

1915 . 

.do. 

15 per cent, ad valorem. 

.. ..do. 

1916. 

.do. 

1917. 

.do. 

1918. 

.do. 

6 

39 

63 

245 

9 

37 

10.50 

6.28 

15.00 

15.00 

1919. 

.do. 




1 From July 1 to Aug. 5, 1909. 3 From July 1 to Oct. 3. 1913. 

2 From Aug. 6, 1909, to June 30, 1910. 4 From Oct. 4, 1913, to June 30, 1914. 


Table 9. —Imports of ground barytes for consumption in the United States , 

1910-1919 

[Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, including barytes earth, manufactured.] 


Fiscal year. 

Rate of duty. 

Quantity 
(short tons). 

Value. 

Duty 

collected. 

Value per 
unit of 
quantity. 

Actual and 
computed 
ad valorem, 
rate. 

1910 . 

1911 

$5.25 per ton. 

.do. 

3,023 
3,655 
3,012 
5,145 
1,107 
4,919 
1,966 

$27,191 
26,462 
21,642 
36,819 
7,520 
35,105 
14,997 

2 

3,813 

$14,169 
17,131 
14,117 
24,119 
5,184 
7,021 
2,999 

r— $8.99 
7.24 
7.19 
7.16 
6.79 
7.14 
7.63 

Per cent. 
52.11 
64.74 
65.23 
65.51 
68.94 
20.00 
20.00 
20.00 
20.00 
20.00 
20.00 

1912 

.do. 

1913 

. .do. 

1914 i. 

1914 2 . 

1915 

.do. 

20 per cent ad valorem. 

_do. 

1916 

_do. 

1917 

.do. 

235 

763 

16.23 

1918 

do. 

1919 

do. 












i From July 1 to Oct. 3, 1913. 2 From Oct. 4, 1913, to June 30, 1914. 
















































































32 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


PRICES. 

United States .—The average dutiable value of crude barytes im¬ 
ported from 1912 to 1915, inclusive, was $1.85 per short ton, as shown 
by import statistics. Information from consular invoices shows that 
the prewar price of crude barytes was about $1.75 per short ton 
f. o. b. German mines. Freight charges from the mine to Atlantic 
ports made the price of crude barytes about $4.70 per short ton ex ship 
at New York or Philadelphia. To this price must be added the 
duty under the act of 1913 and barge or switching charge to eastern 
consumers, so that the price delivered at plants was about $5.20 per 
short ton. This price varied somewhat according to individual con¬ 
ditions, but the figures given may be taken as an average. Table 
10 shows the detail of the price of imported crude barytes for 1914: 

Table 10. —Average price per short ton of crude barytes imported from 


Germany? 191J/. 

Trice f. o. b. mine_i_$1. 75 

Railroad and river freight to Rotterdam_ 1. 20 

Ocean freight_ 1.75 

Price ex ship New York or Philadelphia (duty not paid)_ 4. 70 

Price delivered at plants on Atlantic coast 1 2 - 5. 20 


The price of domestic crude barytes f. o. b. St. Louis has about 
doubled during the war. The price from May, 1913, until Novem¬ 
ber, 1915, varied very little from $4.90 per short ton. The price 
then increased to $9.80 per ton in October, 1918, and this price was 
in force until May, 1919, when it decreased to $8.80 per ton. In 
November, 1919, the price increased sharply to $10.80 per ton. Table 
11 shows the market price of crude barytes per short ton f. o. b. 
Missouri shipping points. 

Table 11. —Market price of crude barytes f. o. h. Missouri shipping points. 

[Dollars per short ton.] 


Date. 


1912, January to October. 

1912, October to December, inclusive 

1913, January to May. 

1913, May to December, inclusive 

1914, entire year. 

1915, January to November. 

1915, November and December. 

1916, January. 

1916, Fecmary and March. 

1916, April to December, inclusive... 

1917, entire year. 

1918, January to August. 

1918, August and September. 

1918, October to December, inclusive. 

1919, January to May. 

1919, May to November. 

1919, November and December. 

1920, January to April. 


Washing¬ 
ton County, 
Mo., dis¬ 
trict. 


$4. 25 
5. 50 
7.00 
4. 25 
4.25 
4.25 
4. 50 
4.50 
5.00 
7.00 
7.00 
7.00 
8.00 
9.00 
9.00 
8.00 
10.00 
10.00 


St. Louis, 
western 
Missouri 
district. 


$4.90 

6.15 

7.65 
4.90 
4.90 
4.90 

5.15 
5.15 

5.65 

7.65 
7.65 

7.80 
8. 80 
9. 80 
9. 80 

8.80 
10. 80 
10.80 


1 From consular invoices of individual shipments. 

2 Includes duty under the act of 1913 and barge or switching charge to plant. 

































THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


33 


Contract prices on Missouri ground barytes f. o. b. St. Louis have 
not increased in the same ratio as crude barytes. Table 12 shows 
contract prices of ground barytes f. o. b. St. Louis in carload 
shipments. 


Table 12. —Contract price of Missouri ground barytes f. o. b. St. Louis in 

carloa d sh ipm en i s. 


Year. 

Ter 

short ton. 

Year. 

Per 

short ton 

1912. 

$13.00 
15.50 
13.00 
13.00 
13.00 

1917.. . 

$19.00 
19. 00 
21.50 
21.50 

1913. 

1918.... 

1914. 

1919 . 

1915. 

1920.. 

1916. 




$ 

The price of crude barytes f. o. b. Cartersville, Ga., increased 
from $4.25-$6.00 per short ton in 191G to $8.95 per short ton in the 
first half of 1920. The price of ground barytes f. o. b. Cartersville 
has been more constant than that of crude barytes. The price of 
ground barytes was $17.85 per short ton from 1916 to 1918, inclusive, 
and then increased to $18.75 in 1919 and the first part of 1920. Table 
13 shows the price of crude and ground barytes f. o. b. Cartersville, 
Ga., since 1916: 


Table 13.— Prices of crude and ground barytes per short ton f . o . b . Carters¬ 
ville, Ga. 


Year. 

Crude. 

Ground. 

1916. 

$4. 25-$6. 00 

$17. 85 

1917. 

4. 90- 6. 70 

17. 85 

1918.. 

6. 45- 8. 00 

17.85 

1919. 

7.35- 8. 95 

18. 75 

1920. 

8.95 

18.75 



United Kingdom .—Price quotations on crude barytes in the United 
Kingdom are not aA T ailable. Table 6, which gives the production of 
crude barytes in the United Kingdom shows an average reported 
value of $3.86 per short ton in 1914, which increased to $9.37 in 1917, 
the latest year for which complete statistics are available. The in¬ 
crease in the price of ground barytes in the United Kingdom during 
the war was about in the same proportion as in this country. The 
increase, however, began in 1912 and shows a gradual trend upward 
from that time, while the increase in price in the United States did 
not begin until 1916. The price in the United Kingdom has usually 
been lower than the price in this country. Table 14 shows the price 
of ground barytes by quarters in the United Kingdom as quoted by 
the Chemical Trade Journal and Chemical Engineer of London. 

477°—20-3 





































34 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

Table 14. —Price of ground barytes in the United Kingdom, 1910-1919; per short 

ton. 1 


1910— January 
April... 
July. - - - 
October. 

1911— January 
April... 

July_ 

October. 

1912— January 
April... 

July- 

October. 

1913— January 
April... 
July.... 
October. 

1914— January 
April... 
July.-.. 
October. 


$9.77-S14.12 
9.77- 11. 12 
9.77- 14. 12 
9.77- 14.12 
9.77- 14.12 
9.77- 14.12 
9.77- 14.12 
9.77- 14.12 
9.77- 14.12 
9.77- 14.12 
10.86- 14.12 
10.86- 14.12 
11.95- 16.29 
13.03- 16.29 
13.03- 16.29 
13.03- 16.29 
13.03- 16.29 
13.03- 16.29 
13.03- 16.29 
16.29- 19.55 


1915— January 
April... 
July.... 
October. 

1916— January 
April... 

July- 

October. 

1917— January 
April... 

July. 

October. 

1918— January 
April... 

July- 

October. 

1919— January 
April... 
July.... 
October. 


$16. 29-S19.55 
17 3«- 20.63 
18.46- 21.72 
19.55- 26. 06 
19.55- 26.06 
19.55- 26.06 
19. 55- 32.58 
19.55- 32.58 
19. 55- 32. 58 
21.72- 36.92 
21.72- 36.92 
21.72- 36.92 
21.72- 36.92 
30.41- 60.83 

30.41- 60.83 
39.10- 65.18 
39.L0- 65.17 
39.10- 65.1< 

30.42- 60.83' 
30.42- 60.83. 


1 Taken from Chemical Trade Journal and Chemical Engineer, I^ondon. Listed as barium sulphate,, 
native levigated, f. o. r. at works or usual ports of shipment. 


Germany .—Barytes is not regularly quoted in German chemical 
trade journals. The following prices are offerings of crude and, 
ground barytes, which were received by American firms from Ger¬ 
man firms. 1 The prices quoted in these letters are tabulated and 
converted in Tables 15 and 16 at the par value of the mark and at 
the exchange value of the mark on the date the letters were written.. 


Table 15. —Prices of crude barytes, free Hamburg or Bremen, Oct. 21, 1919:. 


Grade. 

Price per short ton. 

Marks. 

Mark = 
$0. 2382.. 

1 

Mark = 

$0.036. 

No. 1 = 98 to 99 per cent. 

65 

60 

$15.48 
14.29- 

$2.34 
2.16. 

No. 2= 95 to 96 per cent. 



Table 16. —Price of crude barytes, free Bremen, Hamburg, or Rotterdam, 

Sept, 80, 1919. 


Brand. 

Class. 

Price. 

Marks per 
metric 
ton. 

Dollars per short ton. 

Mark = 
$0.'2382. 

Mark = 
$0.04. 

S W O O O. 

1 

3 

6 

8b 

329.5 

318.5 

304.5 
292. 5 

$71.20 
68. 83 
65.80 
63.21 

$11.96 

11.56 

11.05 

10.61 

Lowe. 

Adler. 

G O O O. 



1 Original letters in files of the Tariff Commission.. 










































































THE BARYTES INDUSTRY. 


35 


COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS. 

The situation prior to the war .—The Atlantic coast market for 
crude barytes was supplied exclusively by imports, chiefly from 
Germany, amounting to between 35 and 45 per cent of the total 
domestic consumption of crude barytes. The interior points at 
which imported barytes could compete with the domestic ore pro¬ 
duced in Missouri depended wholly on the cost of transportation or 
freight rates to the market in question. The outlet for domestic 
crude barytes prior to the war was thereby restricted to supplying 
the middle western manufacturers of ground barytes, while the im¬ 
ported crude barytes was consumed almost wholly by eastern manu¬ 
facturers of lithopone. 

This division of the domestic market did not exist in the case of 
ground barytes. Under the duties in the act of 1909 for ground or 
manufactured barytes ($5.25 per ton), domestic ground barytes was 
able to compete in the Atlantic coast market with imported ground 
barytes. It is estimated that prior to the war about 50 per cent of 
the ground barytes manufactured in the Middle West was shipped 
to and consumed in the Atlantic coast market. The imports of 
ground or manufactured barytes prior to the war were only about 
15 per cent of the imports of crude barytes, which shows that the 
competition between domestic and foreign barytes was chiefly in the 
crude ore. Table 17 shows the imports of ground and crude barytes 
for 1911 to 1913, inclusive. 


Table 17. —Comparison of imports of cntde and ground barytes, 1911-1913. 


Fiscal year. 

Ground 

barytes. 

Crude 

barytes. 

1911. 

Short tons. 
3,655 
3,012 
5,145 

Short tons. 
20,602 
23,507 
31,761 

1912. 

1913. 



The present situation .—The deposits of barytes in the southern dis¬ 
trict have an advantage over Missouri deposits of about $1.25 per 
short ton in freight rates to the Atlantic coast market. War condi¬ 
tions have therefore not changed the competitive situation as far as 
middle western producers of crude barytes are concerned. With nor¬ 
mal conditions restored competition in crude barytes in the Atlantic 
coast market will be between the foreign product and domestic crude 
barytes produced in Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky; crude barytes 
produced in Missouri will not be able to compete in this market even 
under existing conditions. 

In the matter of ground barytes, however, the manufacturers in 
the Middle West continue to ship about 50 per cent of their product 












36 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

to the Atlantic coast market. Although ground barytes from the 
southern district has a lower freight rate to Atlantic coast markets 
than Missouri ground barytes, the Missouri product still supplies a 
large portion of this market. This may be explained by the fact that 
eastern lithopone and barium chemical manufacturers developed the 
southern deposits chiefly td supply their raw-material requirements. 
Missouri barytes is a softer variety and is better adapted for the man¬ 
ufacture of ground barytes than is the southern ore. It is evident 
that the producers of crude barytes in the southern district are par¬ 
ticularly interested in retaining the Atlantic coast market for crude 
barytes while the Missouri producers and manufacturers of ground 
barytes are more interested in being able to hold this market for 
ground barytes, which they largely supplied prior to the war. 


TARIFF HISTORY. 

Barytes or barium sulphate, unmanufactured or manufactured, has 
been dutiable since the passage of the act of 1883, with the exception 
of the period covered by the act of 1894, when barytes unmanufac¬ 
tured, including barytes earth, was free of duty. Witherite (natural 
barium carbonate) has uniformly been exempt from duty since 1883. 
The duties levied on barytes, unmanufactured and manufactured, and 
the provisions for witherite beginning with the act of 1883 are as 
follows: 


Act of— 

Para¬ 

graph. 

Tariff classification or description. 

Rates of duty, specific 
and ad valorem. 

1883. 

40 

Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, uxlxuanufactured. 

10 per cent ad valorem. 

\ cent per pound. 

Free. 

1883. 

41 

Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, manufactured. 

1883. 

603 

Baryta, carbonate or witherite. 

1890. 

49 

Baryta, sulphate of. or barytes, including barytes earth: 
Unmanufactured. 


SI.12 per ton. 

$6.72 per ton. 

Free. 



Manufactured. 

1890. 

500 

Baryta, carbonate of, or witherite.. 

1894. 

37 

Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, manufactured. 

$3 per ton. 

Free. 

1894. 

395 

Baryta, carbonate of, or witherite, and baryta, sulphate 
of, or barytes, unmanufactured, including barytes 
earth. 

Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, including barytes earth: 
U nmanuf actured. 

1897. 

44 


75 cents por ton. 

$5.25 per ton. 

Free. 



Manufactured. 

1897 . 

489 

Baryta, carbonate of, or witherite. 

1909. 

42 

Barvta, sulphate of, or barytes, including barytes earth: 
Unmanufactured. 


$1.50 per ton. 

$5.25 per ton. 

Free. 



Manufactured. 

1909.. 

711 

Witherite..-_ 

1913. 

51 

Baryta, sulphate of, or barytes, including barytes earth: 
U nmanu f actured. 


15 per cent ad valorem. 
20 per cent ad valorem. 
Free. 



Manufactured. 

1913. 

646 

Witherite. 




CONSTRUCTION OF THE LAW. 

In a case under the act of 1894 in which the importers furnished 
no evidence to support their protest, ground carbonate of baryta was 
held dutiable as an unenumerated manufactured article and not 








































THE BARYTES INDUSTRY". 


37 


exempt from duty as native or unmanufactured carbonate of baryta 

or witherite of commerce. (G. A. 3622, T. D. 17483.) Under the act 

of 1897 which removed the limitation to carbonate of barvta in its 

«/ 

unmanufactured condition, ground carbonate of baryta was held 
exempt from duty. (G. A. 4243, T. D. 19947.) In a court decision 
likewise classifying precipitated carbonate of baryta, paragraph 489 
of the act of 1897 was declared not limited to the particular kind of 
carbonate of baryta known as witherite, but included all carbonates 
of baryta whether or not known by the name of witherite. (Gabriel 
& Schall v. United States, 121 Fed., 208; followed by the Board of 
General Appraisers in G. A. 5314, T. D. 24331, and G. A. 7141, T. D. 
31145.) A like conclusion was reached by the Court of Customs 
Appeals. (United States v. Gabriel & Schall, 1 Ct. Cust. Appls., 90.) 
The provision for “witherite” in paragraph 711 of the act of 1909 
was, however, declared to be limited to the natural crude mineral ore 
and not inclusive of precipitated carbonate of baryta, which, being a 
chemical salt, was held dutiable under paragraph 3 of that act. (G. 
A. 7262, T. D. 31810.) 



PART III 


THE BARIUM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 




























4 





\ 









































PART III. 


THE BARIUM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 


DESCRIPTION AND USES. 

The term “ barium chemicals” is used in this report to include 
various barium salts or compounds which are manufactured by chem¬ 
ical processes from the barium minerals, barytes and witherite. 

Blanc fixe or artificial sulphate of barytes , as it is described in the 
tariff act of October 3, 1913, is barium sulphate which has been pre¬ 
cipitated from a solution of a soluble barium salt by means of a 
sulphate, usually salt cake. The term “ blanc fixe,” which means 
permanent white, is generally used in commerce to designate this 
article. The term “ precipitated barium sulphate ” describes the 
product much more accurately than artificial sulphate of barytes. 
As the term “ barytes ” alone signifies barium sulphate, the phrase 
u sulphate of barytes ” is redundant. Blanc fixe is the best grade 
of barium sulphate for pigment purposes, both as to whiteness and 
fineness of the product. In chemical composition blanc fixe is prac¬ 
tically identical with natural ground barytes, but its physical 
properties are different. The two products should not be con¬ 
fused. Blanc fixe is largely used where a pure white pigment or 
filler is desired, as in paints, rubber goods, linoleum, oilcloth, and 
glazed paper. It is also used in lithographic inks, as a base for lake 
colors, and is used extensively as a pigment by the United States 
Navy in “ battleship gray,” which contains about 45 per cent of 
blanc fixe. Blanc fixe under the name of chemically pure barium 
sulphate is used as an indicator in X-ray photography. It is placed 
on the market in pulp and as a dry powder. The pulp is a paste 
containing about 30 per cent of water and is used chiefly by the paper 
and lithographic ink manufacturers. The dry powder is used for 
pigment purposes. 

Barium carbonate is a white insoluble barium salt prepared by 
precipitation from a solution of barium sulphide with soda ash. Its 
largest use is in the ceramics industry for the manufacture of 
optical glass, for which purpose a chemically pure product is re¬ 
quired. Recently it has assumed importance in the manufacture of 
flat wall paints, and this use will undoubtedly increase. These 

41 



42 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, A1STD LITHOPONE. 

paints when containing about 45 per cent of precipitated barium 
carbonate produce a velvety finish. Witherite (natural barium car¬ 
bonate) can not be used for this puipose and should not be confused 
with precipitated barium carbonate. It is also used as the raw ma¬ 
terial for making barium peroxide and in the manufacture of some 
kinds of enameled iron ware. 

Barium chloride is a white barium salt which is fairly soluble in 
water. It crystallizes with two molecules of water and is usually 
sold in the crystalline or powdered form. It is largely used in the 
manufacture of blanc fixe and of color lakes as a mordant for fixing 
acid dyes on the inert base, such as aluminum hydroxide or blanc fixe. 
Barium chloride is also used in the purification of salt, as a water 
softener, a chemical reagent in sulphur determinations, to some ex¬ 
tent in the ceramics industry, and in the manufacture of certain 
photographic chemicals. It has certain medicinal uses. 

Barium nitrate is a soluble barium salt used principally for mak¬ 
ing barium peroxide or dioxide. It is also used in pyrotechnics for 
making green fire and green signal lights and in the manufacture 
of certain explosive mixtures, thus giving barium nitrate some mili¬ 
tary significance. It also has certain medicinal uses similar to 
barium chloride. 

Barium monoxide or baryta has its chief use as an intermediate 
product in the preparation of the binoxide or peroxide of barium. 
It is also used in the manufacture of certain varieties of optical 
glass. In European countries, especially Germany, it is used in re¬ 
fining beet sugar. 

Barium hydroxide , hydrate of baryta, or caustic baryta, lias very 
little commercial use in the United States. During the period of 
high prices for caustic potash, barium hydroxide was used to convert 
sulphate of potash into caustic potash. In Europe it is used with 
barium monoxide in the refining of beet sugar. 

Barium binoxide , barium dioxide, or barium peroxide, is used 
chiefly for the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide. It is also used 
for the production of oxygen and as a bleach, especially in the 
blanket and straw hat industries. Large quantities of hydrogen 
peroxide were required for war purposes. This demand and the 
use of barium peroxide in tracer bullets resulted -in a large increase 
in production. 

Barium sulphide is the intermediate barium compound from which 
the majority of the other barium chemicals are made and is one of 
the necessary materials in the manufacture of lithopone. It is also 
used with lime as a depilatory in leather manufacture. Crude barium 
sulphide, which is made by roasting barytes with coal, is known as 
“ black-ash.” 


THE BARIUM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 


43 


Barium chromate or lemon yellow, or yellow ultramarine, is used 
as a yellow pigment. 

Barium chlorate is used in pyrotechnics and in dyeing. 

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION. 

Production and consumption. —Prior to the war the United States 
was almost wholly dependent on imports for its supply of barium 
chemicals. There was practically no domestic production of the 
barium salts such as barium dioxide, chloride, nitrate, and blanc fixe. 
The only product manufactured in this country on a large scale prior 
to the war, which utilized barytes as a raw material, was lithopone, 
which is discussed on pages 53-GO. 

The shutting off of imports with the outbreak of the war gave a 
great stimulus to the establishment of a barium chemical industry in 
the United States. In addition there were large war demands for cer¬ 
tain barium salts (barium peroxide, blanc fixe, and barium nitrate) 
which greatly increased the domestic production and tended to 
develop an industry in the United States. Plants for the manufac¬ 
ture of barium salts have been located chiefly in the eastern and 
southern sections of the United States. The southern plants are 
located in close proximity to the raw material barytes. There are 
also plants located in Ohio and Illinois. The following is a list of 
the principal manufacturers of barium chemicals in the PTnited 
States: 

Alton Chemical Corporation, Alton, Ill. 

Chicago Copper & Chemical Co., Ill West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Ill. 

Consolidated Chemical Products Co., Alton, Ill. 

Durex Chemical Corporation, 320 Fifth Avenue, New York City. (Plant at 
Sweetwater, Tenn.) 

E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. 

J-H-R. Products Co., Willoughby, Ohio. 

Oakland Chemical Co., 10 Astor Place, New York City. 

Roll in Chemical Corporation, 120 Broadway, New York City. (Plant at 
Charleston, W. Ya.) 

The production of barium chemicals has increased steadily from 
17,646,000 pounds in 1915 to 46,372,000 pounds in 1918. Preliminary 
figures furnished by the Geological Survey indicate a total produc¬ 
tion of barium chemicals during 1919 of about 41,500,000 pounds. 
The order of the barium salts according to quantity of production 
during 1918 was blanc fixe, barium carbonate, and barium chloride. 
Table 18 shows the domestic output of barium chemicals, beginning 
with 1915. 


44 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

Table IS. —Production of barium chemicals in the United States , 1015-1918. 


[From Mineral Resources, United States Geological Survey.] 



1915 

1C16 

1917 

1918 

Barium binoxide. 

Barium carbonate. 

Barium chloride. 

Barium nitrate. 

Barium sulphate or blanc fixe. 

All others. 

Pounds. 

0) 

5,492,000 
4,212,000 
1,942,000 
(') 

6,000,000 

Pounds. 
3,960,000 
13,688,000 
7,286,000 
892,000 
6,674,000 
1,084,000 

Pounds. 

(>) 

16,476,000 
9,740,000 
330,000 
12,628,000 
5,832,000 

Pounds. 

0) 

15,322,000 

9,060,000 

0) 

19,044,000 

2,946,000 

Total. 

17,646,000 

33,584,000 

45,006,000 

46,372,000 



1 Included in “All others.” 


Process of manufacture .—Barytes is the raw material used in the 
United States for the manufacture of barium chemicals with the 
exception of a small quantity of witherite which is imported. A 
deposit of witherite was discovered in California in 1914, but it has 
not proved to be of commercial importance. 

The manufacturers of barium chemicals prefer to use the washed, 
high-grade barytes of the soft type, but they can and do use the 
barytes which could not be used in the preparation of the highest 
grades of ground barytes. The crude barytes is first crushed and 
mixed with the proper proportions of pulverized coal. The propor¬ 
tion of barytes and coal varies slightly with individual manufactur¬ 
ers; it is generally one part of coal to four parts of barytes by 
weight. This mixture is roasted for about four hours in a rotating 
reduction furnace. The barium sulphate is reduced by the coal to 
barium sulphide during the roasting. The crude barium sulphide 
(black ash), which contains about 70 per cent of barium sulphide, is 
then treated with hot water and a solution of barium sulphide is 
thereby formed. This solution is used as the starting point for the 
preparation of the barium chemicals and also in the manufacture 
of lithopone. (See p. 54.) 

Barium carbonate is precipitated from a solution of barium sul¬ 
phide by treatment -with sodium carbonate (soda ash). Sodium 
sulphide is obtained as a by-product. It can also be prepared by 
passing a current of carbon dioxide gas through the solution of 
barium sulphide. By this last process, sodium sulphide is not ob¬ 
tained as a by-product. 

The method of producing blanc fixe or precipitated barium sul¬ 
phate depends on the physical properties which are desired for 
the finished product. It was formerly made only by treating a 
solution of barium chloride with sodium sulphate or sulphuric 
acid. It is now usually made by precipitation from a solution of 
barium sulphide by means of salt cake (sodium sulphate). This 
method produces a much denser product than that produced from 
barium chloride, and in addition yields sodium sulphide as a valuable 























THE BARIUM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 


45 


by-product. It is also made as a by-product of the manufacture of 
hydrogen peroxide when barium peroxide is treated with sulphuric 
acid. For certain color purposes blanc fixe is precipitated from hot, 



concentrated solutions, thus giving a crystalline product which is a 
valuable base for the manufacture of very brilliant colors. 

Barium, chloride may be produced by treating witherite (barium 
carbonate) with hydrochloric acid. It is usually produced in this 
country directly from crude barytes by roasting with coal and 
calcium chloride. It may also be prepared by treating a solution of 
barium sulphide with calcium chloride. 
























































































































46 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


Barium nitrate is produced by adding sodium nitrate (Chile salt¬ 
peter) either to a solution of barium chloride or to a solution of 
barium sulphide. It is also produced by dissolving witherite in a 
solution of nitric acid. The barium nitrate thus produced can be 
converted into barium oxide, dioxide, or hydroxide. 

Barium chromate is prepared by treating a solution of barium 
chloride or other soluble barium salts with sodium chromate. 

Barium peroxide or dioxide is prepared from either barium nitrate 
or barium carbonate. The barium nitrate or carbonate is first con¬ 
verted into barium oxide by heating in a closed apparatus. The 
barium oxide is then converted into barium peroxide by heating at 
about 700° C. in a current of air free from carbon dioxide and 
moisture. 

Whenever a sodium salt is added to a solution of barium sulphide 
in the preparation of barium salts there is produced, in addition to 
the desired barium product, sodium sulphide as a valuable by¬ 
product. This is an important product of the barium chemical 
industry, and has a large consumption by the American dye industry 
in the preparation of sulphur colors, especially sulphur black, which 
is used in large quantities. 

FOREIGN PRODUCTION. 

Although statistics are not available on the production of barium 
chemicals in foreign countries, it is undoubtedly true that Germany 
Was the largest single producer prior to the war. England, France, 
and Italy possessed smaller barium chemical industries, and the 
industries in these countries have also been stimulated by war condi¬ 
tions which prevented exports of barium products from Germany. 
Table 19, which shows Germany’s exports and imports of barium 
chemicals, indicates the importance of the German industry prior 
to the war. 

Table 19.— Germany’s exports and imports of barium chemicals. 

[From Vierteljahrshefte zr.r Statistik des Deutschen Reichs.] 


Blanc fi’ce, precipitated barium sulphate: 

1909 .;. 

1910 . 

1911 . 

1912 . 

1913 . 

Barium chloride: 

1909 . 

1910 ... 

1911 . 

1912 . 

1913 . 

Barium nitrate: 

1909 . 

1910 . 

1911 . 

1912 . 

1913 . 


. Exports. 

Short tons. 

Value. 

5,388 

$98,-853 

6,093 

111,954 

7,548 

197,706 

9,147 

222,955 

8,418 

219,859 

5,865 

126,722 

7,114 

153,639 

6,812 

154,830 

8,145 

165,787 

6,227 

135,059 

676 

46,687 

1,088 

72,889 

1,022 

67,887 

893 

62,885 

1,445 

104,570 


Imports. 


Short tons. 

Value. 

15 

$238 

20 

476 

6 

238 

7 

238 

6 


2,012 

43,114 

2,155 

44,305 

2,217 

45,496 

4,050 

78,844 

2,863 

58,835 



2 

238 

3 

238 

15 

953 




































THE BARIUM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 


47 


IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES. 

The imports of all barium chemicals (exclusive of lithopone and 
blanc fixe) in 1914 were 19,299,702 pounds, valued at $526,824. Of 
this quantity about 66 per cent came from Germany. About 90 per 
cent of the importation in 1914 was represented by three barium salts, 
namely, precipitated barium carbonate, barium chloride, and barium 
dioxide. 1 able 20 shows the detail of the imports of barium chemi¬ 
cals in 1914 with countries of origin: 

Table 20. —Imports of barium chemicals by countries, fiscal year Wlp 1 


Article. 


Barium: 

Carbonate (precipitated) 


Chlorate— 

Commercial crystals 


Depurative 
Chloride. 


Dioxide (binoxide) 


Hydroxide— 

Commercial crystals 


Chemically pure crystals 

Pure exsiccated... .*. 

Hypophosphite. 

Nitrate— 

Crystals. 


Powder, fused. 

Oxide— 

Hydrated, commercial crystals. 

Hydrated, caustic, chemically pure exsic¬ 
cated. 

Anhydrous chemically pure.. 

Peroxide— 

Anhydrous commercial powder. 


Pure hydrated 

Sulphide— 

Crude lumps.. 

Purified. 

Pure. 

Sulphite. 

Sulfo cyanide. 


Quantity. 

Value. 

Per cent of quantity, by 
countries. 

Pounds. 




5,131,339 

$47,648 

Germany. 

... 80. 6 



Belgium. 

... 11.9 



England. 

... 7. 5 

17,680 

752 

Switzerland. 

... 74.4 



England. 

... 25. 6 

159 

4 

Germany. 

... 100.0 

6,118,387 

65,443 

.do. 

... 70. 4 



Austria-Hungary... 

... 29. 6 

6,085,909 

330,142 

Germany. 

... 45. 8 



England. 

... 42. 0 



Belgium. 

... 12.2 

104,790 

1,612 

Germany. 

... 95. 4 



England. 

... 4.0 



Belgium. 

.6 

148 

11 

Germany. 

... 100.0 

2,555 

401 

.do. 

... 100.0 

113 

117 

England. 

... 99.1 



Germany. 

.9 

1,040,772 

38,728 

.do. 

... 98. 7 



Belgium. 

... 1.1 



England. 

.2 

2,200 

411 

Germany. 

... 100.0 

3,047 

96 

.do. 

... 100.0 

11 

2 


... 100.0 

4 

2 

.do. 

... 100.0 

707,440 

35,423 

.do. 




England. 

... 27.1 



Belgium. 

.. 22. 5 

24 

5 

Germany. 

.. 100.0 

12,373 

930 

.do. 

... 100.0 

9,360 

893 

.do. 

.. 100.0 

622 

148 

.do. 

.. 100.0 

837 

731 


.. 100.0 

61,932 

3,325 

.do. 

.. 97. 0 



Canada. 

.. 3.0 

19,299.702 

526,824 




Total 


1 Pickrell, Dr. E. R.: Chemicals and Allied Products Used in the United States, Department of Com¬ 
merce, Miscellaneous Series No. 82. 

Imports for consumption .—The imports of barium chemicals have 
practically ceased since 1915 owing to the severance of trade with 
Germany which was the chief source of supply. The imports of 





















































































48 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

practically all the barium chemicals prior to the war had increased 
to a maximum in 1914. The imports of barium chloride during the 
last six months of the 1919 calendar year (not shown in Table 21) 
were 1,090,396 pounds, valued at $19,063. This is the first barium 
chemical to be imported since the war in anything like the quantity 
of prewar imports. Table 21 shows the imports for consumption of 
the most important barium chemicals since 1910: 

Table 21 .—Imports of barium chemicals for consumption in the United States. 

BARIUM CARBONATE, PRECIPITATED. 


Fiscal 

year. 

• 

Rate of duty. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Duty 

collected. 

Value per 
unit of 
quantity. 

Actual and 
computed 
ad valorem 
rate. 

1912. 

25 per cent. 

Pounds. 

946,971 
2,182,517 
485, 889 
4,509,562 
344,588 

6 

804 

106, 288 

$7,376 
20,143 
4,384 
42,041 
7,864 

2 

177 

1,437 

$1,844 

5,035 

1,096 

6,306 

1,179 

$0.008 
.009 
.009 
.009 
.023 
.333 
.220 
.014 

Per cent. 
25.00 
25. 00 
25. 00 
15. 00 
15. 00 
15. 00 
15. 00 
15. 00 

1913. 

.do. 

19141. 

.do. 

1914 2. 

15 per cent. 

1915. 


1916. 

.. .do. 

1917. 

.do. 

26 

215 

1918. 

.do. 

1919. 

.do. 


1 

\ 





BARIUM CHLORIDE. 


1910 . 

1911 . 

25 per cent.. 

_.do. 

3,705,502 
2,742,486 
2,834,980 
2,926,159 
254,106 
5,856, 280 
4,686,029 
50 
6,614 

$33,672 
29, 771 
27,766 
26,341 
2,558 
62,005 
60,532 
10 
608 

$8,418 
7,442 
6,941 
6,585 
639 
14,640 
11,715 

$0.009 
.011 
.010 
.009 
.010 
.011 
.013 
.200 
.092 

25.00 
25. 00 
25.00 
25. 00 
25. 00 
23.61 
19. 35 
1.30 
2. 72 

1912. 

.do. 

1913. . 

.do. 

19141 . 

19142 . 

1915. 

.do. 

| cent per pound... 

.do. 

1916. 

.do. 

1917. 

_do. 

16 

1918. 

.do. 

1919. 

.do. 

3,290 

783 

8 

.238 

1.05 




BARIUM DIOXIDE OR BINOXIDE. 


1910.. 

1911.. 

1912.. 

1913.. 

19141 

19142 

1915.. 

1916.. 


25 per cent... 

.do. 

.do. 

.do. 

.do. 

1Jcents per pound 

.do. 

.do. 


C) 


3,563,528 

$261,674 

$65,418 

$0.073 

4,896,563 

347,129 

86, 782 

.071 

3,715,823 

255,053 

63, 763 

.069 

3,507, 508 

215,500 

53,875 

.061 

882,385 

49,611 

12,402 

.056 

5.203,413 

280,528 

78,051 

.054 

4,084,144 

317,262 

61,262 

.077 

546,442 

48,451 

8,196 

.088 


25.00 
25. 00 
25. 00 
25.00 
25.00 
27.82 
19.31 
16.92 


BLANC-FIXE OR ARTIFICIAL SULPHATE OF BARYTES, AND SATIN WHITE OR 

ARTIFICIAL SULPHATE OF LIME. 


1910. 

|cent per pound. 

1911. 

.t.. dot..... 

1912. 

.do. 

1913. 

.do. 

19141. 

.do.. 

19142. 

20 per cent. 

1915. 

... t.do. 

1916. 

.do. 

1917. 

.do. 

1918. 


1919. 

.do. 


5,656,507 

$66,923 

$28, 282 

$0.012 

6,332,699 

73, 278 

31, 663 

.012 

5,702, 262 

70, 925 

28,511 

.012 

4,808, 726 

58, 499 

24,043 

.012 

1,166,525 

16,837 

5,832 

.014 

3,585,949 

43,804 

8,760 

.012 

2,233, 369 

25,748 

5,149 

.011 

492, 723 

11,52.3 

2 ,304 

.023 

408,163 

10,029 

2,005 

.024 

179, 200 

2,376 

475 

.013 

1,285 

90 

18 

.070 


42. 26 
43.07 
40. 20 
41.10 
34. 72 
20. 00 
20.00 
20.00 
20.00 
20. 00 
20.00 


1 From July 1 to Oct. 3, 1913. 

2 From Oct. 4,1913 to June 30, 1914. 


3 No imports from 1917 to 1919, inclusive. 
































































































































THE BARIUM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 


49 


PRICES. 


The price of barium chemicals increased. more during the war 
than barytes, the raw material. This was undoubtedly due to 
the fact that this country did not possess a barium chemical industry 
and therefore the normal demand could not be met with the sudden 
cessation of imports from Germany. The price of barium chemicals 
increased rapidly to a high level in the latter part of 1916, which was 
three and four times the prewar prices. As the production of 
domestic manufacturers approached the demand, the prices declined 
somewhat (with the exception of barium chlorate). The prices ex¬ 
isting during 1918 and 1919 were about twice the normal prewar 
prices. Prices of barium carbonate have not been quoted prior to 
1919. During 1919 and the first half of 1920 the price was between 
$65 and $75 per ton. Table 26 shows the price by quarters of the 
various barium chemicals, as quoted in the Oil, Paint and Drug 
Reporter. 


Table 22 .—Price of barium chemicals in the United States, spot, New York 

market. 

[From Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter.] 



Pulp blanc 
fixe, per ton. 

Dry blanc 
fixe, per ton. 

Chlorate, 

per 

pound. 

Ba 

Nitrate, 

per 

pound. 

rium salts. 

Chloride, 
per ton. 

Dioxide, 

per 

pound. 

1912. 



Cents. 

Cents. 


Cents. 

January... . 

$40. 00-$43. 00 

$57. 50-$80. 00 

15-17 

5J- 6i 

$31. 50-132. 50 


April. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

15-17 

5U 6| 

28. 00- 30. 00 


July. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

15-17 

51- 6i 

28. 00- 30. 00 


October. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80.00 

15-17 

5.1- 6 

27.00- 28. 00 


1913. 







January. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

15-17 

51- 6 

32. 00- 32. 50 


April.... 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

15-17 

5f- 6 

33.00 33.50 


July. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

15-17 

5f- 6 

31. 50- 32. 50 


October. . 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

13-13J 

5f- 6 

32. 00- 32.50 


1914. 






January... 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

13-131 

51- 6 

32. 50- 33. 00 


April. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

57. 50- 80. 00 

13-13| 

5f- 6 

32. 00- 32. 50 


July 

40.00 43.00 

77. 50- 80. 00 

13-131 

51- 6 

32. 00- 32. 50 


October. 

40. 00- 43. 00 

77. 50- 80. 00 

16-16£ 

14 -16 

120. 00-130. 00 


1915. 






Jnnna.rv . 

40.00 43.00 

77.50- SO. 00 

16-161 

12 -14 

50. 00- 60. 00 


April 

40. 00- 43. 00 

77.50- 80.00 

16-161 

12 -14 

60.00 . 


July. 

45.00 . 

60. 00- 65. 00 

16-16| 

12 -14 

70. 00- 80. 00 

22 

October. . 

45.00 . 

60. 00- 65.00 

16-161 

15 -16 

95.00-100. 00 

22 

1916. 







Inrinarv. . . _ 

45.00 . 

80.00 . 

16-161 

15 -16 

110.00. 

22 

April 

70 00 . 

80.00 . 

50-60" 

15 -16 

.140.00 

22 

.Tnlv . 

120.00 . 

120.00-140. 00 

50-60 

15 -16 

no. 00 - 120 . oo 

38 

October. 

120.00 . 

90.00 . 

50-60 

15 -16 

100.00-110. 00 

38 

1917. 







January. 

80. 00- 85. 00 

no. oo 

50-60 

15 -16 

97.50-102.50 

38 

April. 

35. 00- 40. 00 

80.00- 85. 00 

50-60 

13 -14 

92.50-100.00 

38 

July. 

35. 00- 40. 00 

80-00- 85. 00 

50-60 

12 -13 

90.00- 95. 00 

38 

•October. 

35. 00- 40. 00 

80.00- 85.00 

50-60 

12 -13 

80.00- 90.00 

38 


477°— 20-4 



































































50 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

Table 22. —Price of barium chemicals in the United States, spot, New York 

market —Continued. 


• 




Barium salts. 



Pulp blanc 
fixe, per ton. 

Dry blanc 
fixe, per ton. 

Chlorate, 

per 

pound. 

Nitrate, 

per 

pound. 

Chloride, 
per ton. 

Dioxide, 

per 

pound. 

1918. 

January. 

$35. 00- 40. 00 

$75.00- 80.00 

Cents. 

50-60 

Cents. 

11 -14 

$65.00- 90.00 

Cents. 

20-25 

April. 

35.00- 60.00 

95.00-105.00 

Nominal. 

12 -14 

65.00- 85. 00 

Nominal. 

Julv. 

35.00- 60. 00 

110.00-120.00 

50-60 

12 -14 

165.00- 70.00 

25 -30 

October. 

35. 00- 60. 00 

110.00-120.00 

50-60 

12 -14 

165.00- 70. 00 

25 -30 

1919. 

January. 

35.00- 60.00 

110.00-120.00 

50-60 

111-12 

2 85.00- 87.00 

25 -27 

April. 

35.00- 50.00 

70.00- 90. 00 

50-60 

10 -11 

82.00- 85.00 

25 -27 

July. 

35.00- 50.00 

70.00- 90.00 

50-60 

10 -11 

70.00- 80.00 

25 -27 

October. 

35.00- 50.00 

70.00- 90.00 

50-60 

10 -11 

80.00- 85.00 

25 -27 

1920. 

January. 

35.00- 50. 00 

80.00-100. 00 

59-60 

10 -11 

90.00- 95.00 

21J-22 

April.... 

40.00- 50.00 

100.00 . 

50-60 

17 -18 

150.00-175.00 

23 .. 

July. 

40.00- 50.00 

120.00 . 

50-60 

17 -18 

175.00-180.00 

22A-25 


i 80 per cent grade. 2 Listed during 1919-20 as barium chloride, white crystals. 


TARIFF HISTORY. 

Prior to the tariff act of 1913 the only barium chemical mentioned 
by name was blanc fixe or artificial sulphate of barium, which was 
first mentioned in the act of 1890 as dutiable at three-fourths cent 
per pound. The other barium chemicals were dutiable prior to the 
passage of the act of 1913 as chemical compounds and salts n. s. p. f. 
The act of 1913 mentions three barium salts by name in addition to 
mentioning blanc fixe, and alloys of metallic barium. The tariff 
classification of the finished barium products since the passage of the 
act of 1883 is as follows: 


Act of— 

Para¬ 

graph. 

Tariff classification or description. 

Ratesofduty,specificand 
ad valorem. 

1883. 

92 

* * * and all chemical compounds and salts, * * * 
not specially enumerated or prox ided for in this act. 

25 per cent ad valorem. 

1890. 

51 

Blanc-fixe, * * * or artificial sulphate of barytes_ 

cent per pound. 


76 

* * * and all chemical compounds and salts, not 
specially provided for in this act. 

25 per cent ad valorem. 

1894. 

39 

Blanc-fixe, or artificial sulphate of barytes. 

25 per cent ad valorem. 


60 

* * * and all chemical compounds and salts, not spe¬ 
cially provided for in this act. 

25 per cent ad valorem. 

1897. 

46 

Blanc-fixe, or artificial sulphate of barytes * * * _ 

* * * and all chemical compounds and salts not 
specially provided for m this act. 

h cent per pound. 


3 

25 per cent ad valorem. 

1909. 

3 

* * * chemical compounds, mixtures and salts 
* * * not specially provided for in this section. 

25 per cent ad valorem, or 
55 cents per lb. if more. 


44 

Blanc-fixe, or artificialsulphate of barytes * * * _ 

icent per pound. 

19J3. 

5 

10 

* * * and all chemical * * * compounds * * * , 
mixtures and salts * * * . 

Barium, 

Chloride of. 

Dioxide of. 

Carbonate of, precipitated. 

15 per cent ad valorem. 

J cent per pound. 

U cents per pound. 

15 per cent ad valorem. 


51 

* * * blanc-fixe, or artificial sulphate of barytes 
* * * 

20 per cent ad valorem. 


143 

* * * barium, " * * * and alloys of which said 
metals are the component material of chief value. 

25 per cent ad valorem. 
























































PART IY 


THE LITHOPONE INDUSTRY 













PART IV. 


THE LITHOPONE INDUSTRY. 


DESCRIPTION ANI) USES. 

Lithopone (incorrectly spelled lithophone) is a white pigment which 
consists of a mixture of approximately TO per cent barium sulphate 
and 30 per cent of zinc calculated as zinc sulphide. The zinc is pres¬ 
ent in lithopone as 26 to 28 per cent of zinc sulphide and 1 to 3 per 
cent of zinc oxide, according to conditions of manufacture. The 
lithopone produced in this country by all manufacturers is a standard 
product of approximately the composition given above, which is 
about in proportion to the chemical equivalents of barium sulphate 
and zinc sulphide. In Europe lithopone is commonly sold in grades 
containing more or less zinc sulphide than the standard of 30 per 
cent. For example, the following grades of lithopone are sold on 
the German market: Gelbsiegel (yellow seal), 11 to 18 per cent zinc 
sulphide; Blausiegel (blue seal), 22 to 30 per cent zinc sulphide; 
Griinsiegel (green seal), 32 to 42 per cent zinc sulphide. 

Lithopone is known commercially under various brand names in 
addition to the general name of lithopone. The trade names used by 
various manufacturers, with the exception of the Sherwin-Williams 
Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, which firm markets their product simply as 
lithopone, are as follows: 

Beckton White, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. 

Ponolith, Krebs Pigment & Chemical Corporation, Newport, Del. 

Marbon White, Mineral Refining & Chemical Corporation, St. Louis, Mo. 

Zincolith, Chemical Pigments Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Sterling White, Midland Chemical Co., Chicago, Ill. 

B-J White, Butterworth-Judson Corporation, New York. 

Grasselli White, Grasselli Chemical Co., Cleveland, Ohio. 

Green Label and Standard, New Jersey Zinc Co., New York. 

Colzo Lithopone, Collinsville Zinc Corporation, St. Louis, Mo. 

Lithopone is used extensively as a white pigment in flat and enamel 
wall paints for interior use. The chief competitors of lithopone as a 
pigment are white lead, zinc oxide, and leaded zinc oxide. It is also 
used in large quantities as an inert filler in rubber goods, paper, lino¬ 
leum, oilcloth, and in window-shade cloth. As a rule lithopone is 
not extensively used in outside paints because of the property of 
darkening when exposed to sunlight. In recent years there have been 
placed on the market brands of lithopone which are said to with¬ 
stand exposure to sunlight. 


53 



54 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


DOMESTIC PRODUCTION. 

Raw materials .—The basic raw materials necessary for the manu¬ 
facture of lithopone are crude barytes, coal or coke, zinc, and sul¬ 
phuric acid. Other chemicals are required in the process of manu 
facture, but in minor quantities. Large quantities of clear, soft 
water are required in making up the solutions of materials and 
in the washing of the lithopone to remove soluble impurities. Of 
these materials, this report is especially concerned with crude 
barytes. The other basic raw materials are available from domes¬ 
tic sources, and, with the exception of zinc, present no special tariff 
problem. 

The barytes requirements of lithopone manufacturers prior to 
the war were supplied wholly by imports, chiefly from GermanjL 
The entire lithopone industry was then located along the Atlantic 
coast, at or within a short distance of tidewater. Under these con¬ 
ditions crude barytes could be imported at a cost of about $5.20 
per short ton, delivered at plant, which was less than the price at 
which domestic barytes could be purchased. The stoppage of im- 
jiorts of crude barytes from German}^ as a result of war conditions 
forced the lithopone manufacturers to seek a domestic supply. This 
condition and the establishment of a barium chemical industry was 
responsible for the domestic development of crude barytes produc¬ 
tion in the southern district, as previously described. (See p. 21.) 
It is reasonably certain, with restoration of normal competitive 
conditions and under existing tariff duties (15 per cent ad valo¬ 
rem) on crude barytes, that lithopone manufacturers located along 
the Atlantic coast will return to imports as the source of their 
barytes requirements. Regardless of a duty, the lithopone manu¬ 
facturers located in the Middle West will use chiefly crude barytes 
from the Missouri district. The relation of the cost of crude barytes 
to the total cost of manufacturing lithopone is shown on page 87. 
From this it is possible to calculate the effect of an increase or de¬ 
crease in the cost of crude barytes on the cost of lithopone, other 
factors remaining fixed. 

Process of manufacture .—The manufacture of lithopone requires 
the preliminary production of a solution of barium sulphide and a 
solution of zinc sulphate. The preparation of barium sulphide by 
roasting barytes with coal has already been described. (See p. 44.) 
The zinc sulphate solution is prepared by dissolving some form of 
zinc (zinc ash, scrap, skimmings, spelter, or roasted ore) in dilute 
sulphuric acid. Since the zinc materials used contain, as a rule, other 
metals as impurities (chiefly iron, copper, or cadmium), which 
would form colored products on treatment with barium sulphide, 
it is necessary to purify thoroughly the zinc sulphate solution. Vari¬ 
ous chemicals are used at this point for purification of the zinc 



THE LITHOPONE INDUSTRY. 


55 


Figure 4 .—D/agram Of The Manufacture 

Of Lithopone 

Solid lines - Raw, intermediate, or finished products 

Broken lines - Apparatus, or steps in process 



C.Jf Z> 6 - 2 - 20 . 











































































56 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


sulphate solution, which is one of the most important steps in the 
manufacture and requires careful chemical control. 

Crude lithopone is now precipitated from the purified zinc sul¬ 
phate solution as a white insoluble substance by adding a hot solu¬ 
tion of barium sulphide. The crude lithopone is filtered from 
the solution, then dried, and calcined in a muffle furnace at about 
500° C., which may or may not utilize waste heat from the roasting 
of the barytes with coal. The hot product from the furnace is thrown 
into water (“quenching”), ground in pulp, washed several times 
with water to remove soluble impurities, filtered, and dried. The 
dry lithopone is run through a disintegrator, which breaks it up into 
a fine powder, and it is then packed in bags or barrels for shipment. 
In some cases the lithopone is air floated to insure a uniformly fine 
product before packing. The process of manufacturing lithopone 
is shown graphically in Figure 4. 

Production and consumption .—The production of lithopone in the 
United States has shown a rapid growth during the last 10 years. 
From 1910 to 1919 the production increased nearly sixfold, or from 
25,330,000 pounds to about 145,000,000 pounds. During this period 
the domestic output of lithopone has supplied from 84 to 100 per cent 
of the total consumption. There has been relatively little competi¬ 
tion from imported lithopone. The growth of the lithopone industry 
can be attributed to the increased utilization of this commodity and 
the natural growth of the consuming industries during the last 10 
years. Although exports of lithopone are not shown separately in 
Commerce and Navigation, it is known that a fairly large export 
trade has developed in lithopone during 1920. 

Table 23 shows the figures for the production, importation, and 
consumption of lithopone in this country from 1910 to 1919, inclu¬ 
sive. Figure 5 shows graphically the relation of imports and pro¬ 
duction of lithopone to the total consumption in the United States. 

Table 23 .—Production and consumption of lithopone in the United States. 


Calendar year. 


1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 


Production. 1 

Imports. 2 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Per cent 
of con¬ 
sumption 
(quantity). 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Pounds. 
25,330,000 
33,732,000 
48,440,000 
59,370,000 
65,638, 000 
92,988, 000 
102,582,000 
127,426,000 
124, 806,000 
145,000,000 

$916,512 
1,243,108 
1,702,119 
2,170, 445 

2.490.530 
3,760,472 
5,798, 927 

7.394.531 
7,923,209 

87.1 

84.1 

89.1 

93.6 

89.7 

95.8 

95.6 

99.6 
100.0 

99.0 

Pounds. 
3,726,135 
6,355,312 
5,904,475 
4,054,423 
7,544,148 
4,087, 826 
4,681,560 
448,000 

$99,954 
166,199 
153,303 
122,063 
259,955 
137, 816 
405, 730 
29,199 

1,477,296 

122,708 



Consump¬ 

tion. 


Pounds. 

29,056,135 
40,087,312. 
54,344,475. 
63,424,423 
73,182,148. 
97,075,826 
107,263,560 
127,874,000 
124,806,000 
146,477, 296 


1 1910 to 1918, inclusive, from Mineral Resources, U. S, Geological Survey. 1919 from reports submitted 
to the Tariff Commission by individual manufacturers. 

2 From 1910 to Oct. 3,1913, listed as “ white sulphide of zinc.” 



































THE LITHOPONE INDUSTRY 


57 


FIGURE 5 .— Consumption Of Lithopone 

Jn The United States, / 9/0 - J9/9 
liiill iM-pon-rs r 1 Phoduc.tion 



0>q>C&q><%q>0>0>o> 
CpLEMVPR YEPiRS 


C-WO. *-27 to- 


































































58 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


Geographical distribution .—The domestic lithopone industry, prior 
to the war, was confined to the Atlantic coast district. Most of the 
plants were located at tidewater and were thus favorably situated as 
regards the supply of the raw material, barytes, imported from Ger¬ 
many. According to the Geological Survey there were in 1914 three 
manufacturers in New Jersey, two in Pennsylvania, and one in 
Delaware. The Geological Survey reported production of lithopone 
duripg 1915 at Chicago by the Midland Chemical Co. This marked 
the beginning of the lithopone industry in the Middle West and the 
utilization of local barytes in the manufacture of this paint pigment. 
There has since been considerable development of the lithopone in¬ 
dustry in the Middle West. At the present time there are two manu¬ 
facturers located in the Chicago district and two in the St. Louis 
territory. On the basis of the 1919 production about 80 per cent of 
the lithopone is produced in the Atlantic coast district. 

The manufacturers of lithopone, their office addresses, and loca¬ 
tion of plants are as follows: 

E. I. du Pout de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. (Plants at Philadelphia, 
Pa., Camden and Newark, N. J.) 

Krebs Pigment & Chemical Co., Newport, Del. (Plant same address.) 

Chemical Pigments Corporation, 617 Stock Exchange Building, Philadelphia, 
Pa. (Plant at St. Helena, Baltimore, Md.) 1 

Midland Chemical Co., 208 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Ill. (Plant at 
Argo, Ill.) 

New Jersey Zinc Co., 160 Front Street, New York. (Plant at Palmerton, Pa.) 

Grasselli Chemical Co., Cleveland, Ohio. (Plant at Grasselli, N. J.) 

Sherwin-Williams Co., Cleveland, Ohio. (Plant at Kensington, Ill.) 

Butterworth-Judson Corporation, 61 Broadway, New York. (Plant at 
Newark, N. J.) 

Mineral Refining & Chemical Corporation, St. Louis, Mo. (Plant at St. 
Louis, Mo.) 

Collinsville Zinc Corporation, St. Louis, Mo. (Plant at Collinsville, Ill.) 

FOREIGN PRODUCTION. 

Little information is available as to the size of the lithopone in¬ 
dustry in foreign countries. It is known that the principal pro¬ 
ducers are Germany and Belgium. Table 24 shows Germany’s 
exports and imports of lithopone prior to the war. 


Table 24. — Germany's exports and imports of lithopone, 1909-1913. 
[From Viertsljahrshefte zur Statistik des Deutschen Reichs.] 


Year. 

Exports. 

Imports. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1909 

Short tons. 
8,337 
11,639 
15,148 
16,825 
19,326 

$450,436 
503, 078 
730,559 
793, 206 
950,180 

Short tons. 
2,736 
3,684 
3,003 
3, 676 
3,405 

$141,967 
159,118 
129,819 
174,839 
176,506 

1910. 

1911. 

1912. 

1913. 



1 Purchased in June, 1920, by the Glidden Co., Cleveland, Ohio. 





















THE LITHOPONE INDUSTRY. 


59 


IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES. 

From 1911 to 191G, inclusive, the imports of lithopone were fairly 
constant at 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 pounds annually with the exception 
of 1914 when the imports were a little over 8,000,000 pounds. The 
average dutiable value of lithopone during this period was from 2.5 to 
3.1 cents a pound except in 1916 when the price increased to 8.1 cents 
a pound. In 1917 the imports decreased sharply and during 1918 and 
1919 remained between 230,000 and 450,000 pounds a year. Imports 
of lithopone have supplied only a small portion of the domestic con¬ 
sumption of lithopone. Table 25 shows the imports for consumption 
of lithopone from 1910 to 1919, inclusive. 

Table 25 .—Imports of lithopone for consumption in the United States 

1910-1919 1 


Fiscal 

year. 

Rate of duty. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Duty 

collected. 

Value per 
unit of 
quantity. 

Actual and 
computed 
ad valorem 
rate. 

1910. 

li cents per pound. 

Pounds. 
2,307,699 
5,409,520 
6,325,072 
5,163,642 
847,563 
7,245,151 

$68,925 

145,201 

$28,846 
67,619 

$0.029 

Per cent. 
41.85 

46.57 
50.07 

44.57 

1911. 

.do. 

,0"7 

1912. 

.do. 

157;921 
144,812 

79;063 
64,545 

. 0^5 

1913. 

.do. 

.028 

1914 2 . 

.do. 

25,777 
218,133 

10 ', 594 

.030 

41.10 

1914 3 . 

15 per cent. 

32,719 

.030 

15.00 

1915. 

.do. 

6'185'245 

195', 828 

29,374 

.031 

15.00 

1916. 

.do. 

5,122,083 

231,869 

4 It;573 

62', 185 

.081 

15.00 

1917. 

.do. 

20,591 
29,199 

3; 088 
4,379 

.089 

15.00 

1918. 

.do. 

448,000 

.065 

15.00 

1919. 

.do. 

233'338 

17; 678 

2,652 

.076 

15.00 






1 From 1910 to Oct. 3, 1913, listed as “white sulphide of zinc.” 

2 July 1 to Oct. 3, 1913, under act of 1909. 

3 Oct. 4, 1913, to June 30, 1914. under act of 1913. 


PRICES. 

Domestic .—The price of lithopone from 1912 to 1915 was constant 
at about 3J cents a pound. The price increased to a maximum 
of 144 cents a pound in the second and third quarters of 1916. Dur¬ 
ing 1917, 1918, and 1919 the price ranged from 6 to 8 cents a pound, 
an average of about double the prewar price. The price on July 
3, 1920, was 7f cents a pound in bags and 8~8J cents a pound in 
barrels, car lots. Table 26 shows the general trend of the price of 
lithopone as quoted by the Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter. 

Table 26 .—Prices of lithopone, spot quotation, 'New York market. 


[Cents per pound.] 


First of month. 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

January. 

3 £-4 

3 3 -4 

3Hi 

3Hi 

3Hi 

6f-7 

6I-6§ 

6£-7 

7f-8i 

April. 

3f-4| 

3Hi 

4HJ 

14H5i 

6Hi 

7 -8i 

l 6* 

July. 

3^-4 

3H4 

3 Hi 

6 

14i-15i 

6i-6i 

7U8i 

6i 

October. 

3Hi 

3Hi 

3 Hi 

5 Hi 

8U10 

6 -6* 

8 -8J 

7 








1 Listed from here on as lithopone, in barrels,[Jcar lots. 































































60 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


Foreign. —The following prices fixed by the Association of Ger¬ 
man Lithopone Manufacturers for export countries were received by 
the Commission from a reliable source. The prices apply for cue 
last half of 1919. 

Table 27.— Prices of 30 per cent lithopone (per 100 kilos) fixed by German 

manufacturers for export3 


France, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the Levante_francs_10S 

Switzerland and Italy_Swiss francs— 75 

Spain and Portugal_pesetas_70 

Holland_1_florins_37 

Scandinavia_kroner_62 

America_dollars_13 

England, South America, Japan, and other oversea countries not other¬ 
wise specified_!_pounds sterling_ 1 2 33 


The price to the United States of $13 per 100 kilograms is equiva¬ 
lent to 5.72 cents a pound f. o. b. Rotterdam with the discount de¬ 
ducted. The price prevailing in the United States during the last 
half of 1919 was 6J to 7 cents a pound. 

TARIFF HISTORY. 

The term “lithopone” did not appear in the tariff law until the 
act of 1913, when, in paragraph 61, “ lithopone and white sulphide 
of zinc” were provided for with a duty of 15 per cent ad valorem. 
Under the act of 1S90 lithopone was dutiable as “ white paint con¬ 
taining zinc, but not containing lead; dry ” at 1J cents per pound 
(Gabriel v. United States, 65 Fed., 422; G. A. 1319, T. D. 12670), 
and under the act of 1897 as “ sulfid of zinc white, or white sul¬ 
phide of zinc,” at 1J cents a pound (Gabriel v. United States,, 
123 Fed., 296). This duty during the fiscal years 1910 to 1913, in¬ 
clusive, was equivalent to from 42 to 50 per cent ad valorem. 

1 All these prices are subject to 3 per cent discount or rebate for 25 ton orders and 
upward and are packed in free casks of 250 kilos net with a negligible extra for smaller 
packages. Delivered Rotterdam or frontier stations. 

2 Per English ton. 














« 


PART V 


« 

COSTS OF PRODUCTION IN THE BARYTES, BARIUM. 
CHEMICAL,' AND LITHOPONE INDUSTRIES, 1919 


61 














PART V. 


COSTS OF PRODUCTION IN THE BARYTES, BARIUM 
CHEMICAL, AND LITHOPONE INDUSTRIES, 1919. 


Summary of Costs. 

Representatives of the Tariff Commission held conferences in 
New York, Washington, and St. Louis with producers and manufac¬ 
turers, who agreed to submit their costs of production to the Com¬ 
mission on their own cost forms. These cost reports, after tabulation 
and study, were verified by comparison with the books of the com¬ 
panies by members of the Commission’s staff. 

The averages of costs as shown in the tables presented are in all 
cases weighted averages, based on the actual production of the com¬ 
panies reporting. In no case has a simple average been used in pre¬ 
senting costs. For example, the average cost of lithopone for 1919 
has been obtained by dividing the sum of the total cost of all com¬ 
panies by the aggregate production of all companies. This method 
obviously gives more weight in the average to the costs of a com¬ 
pany with a large production than to the costs of a company with a 
small production. It is believed that the weighted average costs, as 
given, are representative of conditions in the industries as a whole. 

The cost of mining crude barytes in western mines increased from 
$5.30 per short ton in 1916 to $7.74 in 1919, while the increase in 
southern mines was from $3.89 to $7.39 per short ton. This corre¬ 
sponds to an increase of 90 per cent for southern mines and 46 per 
cent for western mines. The cost of manufacturing ground barytes 
was $11.21 per short ton in 1914; $12.69 in 1916; and $19.25 in 1919, 
an increase of about 70 per cent from 1914 to 1919. The cost of pro¬ 
ducing barium chemicals during 1919 was $0.0294 per pound for 
blanc fixe; $0.0316 per pound for barium carbonate; $0.0539 per 
pound for barium chloride, and $0,197 per pound for barium perox¬ 
ide. The average cost of manufacturing lithopone during 1919, as 
reported by 11 plants, was $0.0602 per pound. Of this total cost 43 
per cent was due to material; 18 per cent to labor; 34 per cent to 
overhead; and 5 per cent to sales expense. The apparent profit of 
the industry was $0.0065 per pound of lithopone produced. The rela- 

63 



64 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

tion of crude barytes to the lithopone industry is shown by the fact 
that about 14 per cent of the total factory cost of lithopone was due 
to barytes. Zinc is the most expensive material entering into litho¬ 
pone and amounted to about 22 per cent of the total factory cost. 
The average factory cost was $0.0571 per pound of lithopone. 

Cost of Mining Barytes, 1916 and 1919. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

The costs of mining barytes during 1916 and 1919, as presented in 
the following pages, are separated for western and southern mines 
because of the different methods of mining used. (See p. 24.) In 
western mines the methods of keeping costs are as a rule inadequate, 
except in the case of the larger firms. The information submitted 
by smaller operators has been accepted, although in some cases accu¬ 
rate records were not available for purposes of complete verification. 
In such instances, however, the costs submitted agreed closely with 
those of larger operators^ whose costs were checked to their books, 
and therefore they have been included in the following tables. The 
cost records of southern mines were found to be in better condition 
than those of western mines. A large part of the mining in the 
southern district is done by large consumers of crude barytes, who 
keep accurate records. There was, however, very little uniformity 
in the detail of costs submitted by the various companies. 

The outstanding difference in costs as reported by companies in 
both mining districts was in the charge for amortization of investment 
due to depletion of ore body and in royalties paid owners of the 
property for mining privileges. In many cases no charge was re¬ 
ported. As it would be manifestly unfair to include a charge for 
amortization in one case and not in another, a total cost based on a 
uniform charge for amortization and royalties for all companies has 
been shown in the tables of costs of mining barytes. It has seemed 
feasible to use uniformly the weighted average of the charges re¬ 
ported. In a few cases where charges reported as amortization 
appeared excessive on account of being based on a short period, they 
were not used in arriving at the uniform charge.. 

The costs as given for barytes in all cases are the costs on board 
cars for shipment. This seemed a more desirable basis for com¬ 
parison between districts, because this cost plus freight rates gives 
the cost of crude barytes delivered at any point in the .United States. 
The costs, therefore, as given include hauling, weighing, and loading 
in the case of the western mines and switching or hauling charges 
in the case of the southern mines. 





COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


65 


COMPARISON OF COSTS IN WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINES. 

Table 28 .—Comparison of total cost of mining barytes in western and southern 

mines during 1916 and 1919. 


[Per short ton.] 


1 2 

3 

4 

5 

Year. 

Cost in western mines. 

Cost in southern mines. 

As 

reported. 

On uni¬ 
form amor¬ 
tization and 
royalty 
basis. 

As 

reported. 

On uni¬ 
form amor¬ 
tization and 
royalty 
basis. 

1916.. 

$5.30 
7 . 74 

$5.96 

7 07 

$3.89 
7.39 

$3.89 
6.31 

1919. 




Table 28, which compares the costs in the western and southern 
mines, shows that the cost of production during 1916 and 1919 was 
lower in the southern than in the western mines. In 1916 the dif¬ 
ference in the costs “ as reported” (columns 2 and 4) was $1.41 per 
short ton. On a basis of uniform amortization and royalties (col¬ 
umns 3 and 5) the difference was even greater and amounted to $2.07 
per short ton. This is due to the fact that in only a few cases did 
western mines report a charge for amortization or royalties. In 1919 
the difference in costs between the two districts was considerably 
less. The costs “ as reported ” in 1919 showed a difference of $0.35 
per short ton, and on the basis of “ uniform amortization and roy¬ 
alties ” a difference of $1.66 per short ton in favor of the southern 
mines. 

Table 28 also shows that the increase in the cost of producing 
barytes from 1916 to 1919 “ as reported” was much greater in case 
of the southern mines than the western mines. The total average 
cost in southern mines increased from $3.89 per short ton in 1916 
to $7.39 in 1919, or an increase of 90 per cent. The average cost in 
the western mines increased from $5.30 per ton in 1916 to $7.74 per 
ton in 1919, or an increase of about 46 per cent. On a basis of “ uni¬ 
form amortization and royalties ” the costs in western mines in¬ 
creased about 33 per cent and in southern mines by about 62 per cent 
during this period. 

A study of costs in western and southern mines reveals a con¬ 
siderable difference in labor charge per ton of barytes. This is to 
be expected from the methods used in the two districts. The western 
deposits are worked by pick and shovel and require more labor, while 
the southern deposits are mined by steam shovels. In 1916 the cost 
of labor in western mines was $2.37 per ton as compared with 
$1.62 per ton for southern mines, or a difference of $0.75 per ton. 

477°—20-5 
























66 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

In 1919 the charge for labor in western mines was $4.38 as against 
$2.82 in southern mines, or a difference of $1.56 per ton. Ihe labor 
per ton of ore in western mines increased about 85 per cent from 
1916 to 1919, while in southern mines there was an increase of 74 
per cent. The difference in labor per ton of ore mined in favor of 
southern mines is in part offset by larger overhead charges, due to 
necessary investment in mining equipment. 

COSTS IN WESTERN MINES. 

The methods of mining and conditions in the western fields are 
unique. Practically all of the mining is done by individuals on a 
tonnage basis. Each miner is paid a certain rate per ton of ore 
mined. Other charges are on the same basis. The prices paid for 
ore delivered at the loading platform at the shipping point are fairly 
uniform. The price paid for hauling to the shipping point varies 
with the distance. The miner receives the difference. In other words, 
the net price received per ton of ore by miners located close to the 
railroad is greater than that received by miners some distance from 
the railroad. This condition results in most of the mining being done 
close to the railroad. A large part of the mining is on property 
owned by consumers of crude barytes. These companies permit 
miners to work the property, and they usually furnish the miners 
with housing free of charge as an inducement to keep them on the 
property. 


Table 29.— Cost of mining barytes in western mines during 1916, by companies. 

[Per short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Company No. 

Total cost. 

Detail of total cost as reported (column 2). 

As 

reported. 

On uni¬ 
form 
amorti¬ 
zation 
and 
royalty 
basis. 

Labor in 
mining. 

Trans¬ 
porta¬ 
tion to 
shipping 
point. 

Weigh¬ 
ing and 
loading. 

Amorti¬ 

zation 

and 

royalties. 

Other 

expenses. 

1 . 

$6.17 
6.30 
6. 75 
3. 80 

$6.25 
6.10 
7. 80 
4.85 

$2.36 
3. 00 
1.50 
2. 70 

$1.98 
1.50 
4.00 
.80 

- $0.35 

.25 
.25 
.19 

$0.97 

1.25 

$0.51 

.30 

1.00 

.11 

2. 

3. 

4 . 


Weighted average cost.... 


5.30 

5.96 

2.37 

1.87 

.25 

/ .39 

\ 1 1.05 

} .42 


1 Uniform charge for amortization and royalties used in arriving at total cost in column 3. 


Table 29 shows the cost of mining barytes by western mines dur¬ 
ing 1916 by companies. The total weighted average cost “ as re¬ 
ported” of $5.30 per ton is made up of the following charges: $2.37 



































COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


67 


for labor in mining, or 45 per cent; $1.87 for transportation to ship¬ 
ping point, or 35 per cent, and $0.25 for weighing and loading, or 
4.7 per cent. Amortization and royalties were reported by.only two 
firms and are the only charges for these items included in the total 
average cost of $5.30. By applying a uniform charge for amortiza¬ 
tion and royalties ($1.05), which was the weighted average of the 
two charges reported, the average costs for each firm, as shown in 
column 3, were obtained. This method increases the average cost as 
reported by $0.69 per ton, or 13 per cent. 

Table 30 .—Cost of mining barytes in western mines (luring 1919, by companies. 


[Per short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Company No. 

Total cost. 

Detail of total cost as reported (column 2). 

As re¬ 
ported. 

On uni¬ 
form 
amorti¬ 
zation 
and 
royalty 
basis. 

Labor 

in 

mining. 

Trans¬ 
porta¬ 
tion to 
shipping 
point. 

Weigh¬ 
ing and 
loading. 

Amorti¬ 

zation 

and 

royalties. 

Other 

expenses. 

1. 

$7. 06 

$7.47 

$4. 56 

$2.01 

$0.13 

$0.96 


2... 

9.45 

10. 22 

2. 50 

5.35 

.30 


$1.30 

3. 

7.00 

7. 77 

5.88 

1.00 

. 12 


4. 

8. 50 

8. 77 

2. 00 

6.00 


.50 


5. 

8. 03 

7.09 

3.20 

2. 48 

.17 

1.71 

.47 

f>. 

8.82 

9.59 

5.60 

1. 40 

.80 


1.02 

7. 

7.80 

8. 57 

6. 00 

1.40 

.30 


. 10 

8. 

8.00 

7. 27 

4.50 

1.50 

.25 

1.50 

.25 

9. 

8.10 

8. 87 

5. 00 

1.60 

.30 


1.20 

10. 

7.59 

7. 76 

3.77 

2.01 

. 17 

.60 

1.04 

Weighted average cost.... 

7. 74 

7. 97 

4.38 

2.01 

.20 

j .54 

\ 1 .77 

} .61 


1 Uniform charge for amortization and royalties used in arriving at total cost, column 3. 


Table 30, identical with Table 29, except that the costs given are 
for the year 1919, shows a total weighted average cost for 1919 “ as 
reported” by 10 companies of $7.74 per short ton. By applying a 
uniform charge for amortization and royalties the total average cost 
was increased to $7.97 per short ton, or by about 3 per cent. The 
total average cost “ as reported ” is made up of the following 
charges: Labor in mining of $4.38 per short ton, or 56.5 per cent; 
transportation to shipping point of $2.01 per short ton, or 26 per cent; 
weighing and loading of $0.20 per ton, or 2.6 per cent; amortization 
and royalties of $0.54 per ton, or 7 per cent; and other expenses of 
$0.61 per ton, or 7.9 per cent. The total cost as shown in column 3 
is based on a uniform charge for amortization and royalties, which 
was $0.77 per short ton, or the weighted average of all firms report¬ 
ing a charge for amortization and royalties as shown in column 7. 














































68 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


This method increased the cost as reported by all companies, with 
the exception of three firms. 

The charge for “ labor in mining,” as shown in column 4, is the 
charge which was reported by the various companies, with the excep¬ 
tion of companies 1 and 10. These two firms reported labor in min¬ 
ing and transportation to shipping point combined. The weighted 
average charge as reported by all other companies for transporta¬ 
tion to shipping point has been applied to costs of these two firms, 
in order to arrive at a figure for labor in mining. As shown by 
column 4, the labor in mining varied between companies from $2 
per ton to $6 per ton. This variance in cost of labor is offset by the 
charge for transportation as shown in column 5. The transporta¬ 
tion charge varied from $1 per ton to $6 per ton. Wherever a high 
charge for labor is reported a low transportation charge is usually 
given. The cost delivered at shipping points, or the sum of columns 
4 and 5, is fairly uniform, because of existing conditions which have 
previously been discussed. (See p. 66.) The transportation costs as 
given are those reported by the various companies, with the exception 
of companies 1 and 10, as noted above. 

Column 6 shows the charge for weighing and loading the crude 
barytes on board cars, which was reported by all firms but one— 
company 4. This charge shows a variation from $0.12 per ton to 
$0.80 per ton. Column T shows the amortization and royalties as 
reported by 5 of the 10 companies. This charge ranged from $0.50 
per ton to $1.71 per ton. The weighted average for the five com¬ 
panies reporting was $0.77 per ton, and was used in arriving at the 
total cost in column 3. The average charge of $0.54 per ton is the 
total of charges for amortization and royalties divided by the total 
production of all firms, and was used in arriving at the total cost 
“ as reported ” shown in column 2. Column 8 shows other expenses 
charged to cost of mining barytes. Under this heading are included 
such overhead items as administration, housing furnished miners, 
and losses in weight during shipping. 

COSTS IN SOUTHERN MINES. 

The costs of mining barytes, as shown for southern mines, include 
companies operating in the Sweetwater, Tenn., and Cartersville, Ga., 
districts. Only three firms were able to report costs for 1916, because 
the industry was developed in this district as a result of war condi¬ 
tions, and at this stage of the development little attention was given 
to cost records. The costs of the companies reporting, however, may 
be taken as representative for the year 1916. In 1919 the industry in 
these districts was more fully developed and costs were reported by 
12 companies. 


COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


69 


Table 31. —Costs of mining barytes in southern mines during 1916 , by companies. 


[Per short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Company No. 

Total 
cost 
(as re¬ 
ported). 

Labor in 
mining. 

Supplies 

in 

mining. 

Amortiza¬ 
tion and 
royalties. 

1 

Other 

expenses.. 

1. 

$4.00 
3. 71 
4.08 

•$1.25 

1. 29 

2. 29 

$0.10 
.25 

$0.50 
1.51 

.25 

$2.15 
.66 
1.54 

2. 

3. 

Weighted average cost. 


3. 89 

1.62 

.14 .90 

1. 23 


Table 31 shows the cost of mining barytes by southern mines during 
1916. The total weighted average cost “ as reported ” was $3.89 per 
short ton, and is made up of $1.62 for labor in mining, or 41.7 per 
cent; $0.14 for supplies in mining, or 3.6 per cent; $0.90 for amortiza¬ 
tion and royalties, or 23.1 per cent; and $1.23 for other expenses, or 
31.6 per cent. A charge for supplies in mining (column 4) was re¬ 
ported by only two of the three firms, and was $0.10 per ton in one 
case and $0.25 per ton in the other. Since an amortization and roy¬ 
alty charge v T as shown by all firms and the charge appeared reason¬ 
able, it was not necessary to apply a uniform amortization and roy¬ 
alty charge to the costs. 


Table 32. —Costs of mining barytes in southern mines during 1919, by companies. 


[ Per short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Company No. 

Total cost. 

Detail of Total Cost as reported 
(Column 2). 

As 

reported. 

On 

uniform 
amortiza¬ 
tion and 
royalty 
basis. 

Labor in 
mining. 

Supplies 

in 

mining. 

Amortiza¬ 
tion and 
royalties 

Other 

expenses* 

1 . 

$6. 85 
12. 25 
10. 92 
10. 93 
5.16 
6. 58 
5. 80 
5.24 

8. 64 

9. 77 
7.06 
6.82 

$6. 48 
12. 21 
11.10 

4. 92 

5. 06 
6.32 
5.05 
5. 87 
9. 27 
9.54 
7. 44 
7. 45 

$2.50 

5. 88 
6.05 
2.53 
4. 02 
3.34 
2.14 
1.06 
3. 62 

6. 63 
3.90 
3. 03 

$0.15 
2.67 
2.37 
.97 

.50 

.03 

.42 

.47 

1.13 

$1.00 

.67 

.45 

6.64 

.73 

.89 

1.38 

.86 

.25 

$3.2a 
3.03 
2. 05 
.79 
.41 
1.85 
2.25 
4.18 
4. 60 
1.81 
2.91 
2. 66 

2 . 











Weighted average cost... 

7.39 

6.31 

2. 82 

.46 

/ 1.71 

\ 10. 63 

| 2.40 


i Uniform charge for amortization and royalties used in arriving at the total cost in column 3. 
















































































70 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


Table 32 shows the cost of mining barytes in southern mines dur¬ 
ing 1919, as reported by 12 companies. The total weighted average 
cost, “ as reported ” (column 2), was $7.39 per short ton, and is made 
up of the following charges: $2.82 for labor in mining, or 38.2 per 
cent; $0.46 for supplies in mining, 6.2 per cent; $1.71 for amortiza¬ 
tion and royalties, or 23.2 per cent; and $2.40 for other expenses, or 
32.4 per cent. Column 3 shows the total cost of mining barytes on 
the basis of a uniform amortization and royalty charge. The total 
weighted average cost on this basis is $6.31 per short ton, or a de¬ 
crease of $1.08 per ton, or 14.6 per cent from the total average cost, 
“ as reported.” The uniform charge used in arriving at this total 
cost was $0.63 per ton. This charge was arrived at by taking the 
weighted average of the amortization and royalty charges shown in 
column 6, with the exception of certain charges which were omitted. 
Column 7 shows other expenses charged by the various companies 
to cost of mining barytes during 1919, which include charges for 
administration, power, and other overhead expenses. 








Cost of Manufacturing Ground Barytes, 1914, 1916, and 1919. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

The cost of manufacturing ground barytes, as shown, includes com¬ 
panies operating plants both in the southern and western districts. 
It was impossible to compare costs between the two districts on ac¬ 
count of the small number of manufacturers. In compiling the costs 
on ground barytes the Commission found that the various companies 
kept detailed cost records. There was very little uniformity, how¬ 
ever, in the detail of the costs, as reported. 

It should be pointed out that the company numbers used in pre¬ 
senting costs of ground barytes do not necessarily represent the same 
company for all years. For example, costs given as those of com¬ 
pany 1 during 1914, 1916, and 1919 are not directly comparable as 
those of the same firm. 

COMPARISON OF COSTS FOR 1914, 1916, AND 1919. 

Table 33. —Comparison of costs of manufacturing ground barytes during 1914> 

1916, and 1919. 


[Per short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Year. 

Total 

cost. 

Factory cost. 

Selling expenses. 

Total. 

Material. 

Labor. 

Overhead. 

Cost. 

Per cent 
of total 
cost. 

Cost. 

Per cent 
of total 
cost. 

Cost. 

Percent 
of total 
cost. 

Cost. 

Per cent 
of total 
cost. 

1914. 

1916. 

1919. 

• 

$11.21 
12. 69 
19.25 

$10. 61 
11.98 
18.63 

$6.13 

8. 08 
10.68 

54.7 

63.7 
55.5 

$1.30 

1.08 

2.47 

11.6 

8.5 

12.8 

$3. 18 
2. 82 
5. 48 

28.4 
22.2 

28.5 

$0.60 

.71 

.62 

5.3 

5.6 

3.2 


Table 33 compares the total average cost of manufacturing ground 
barytes during 1914, 1916, and 1919, and the percentage of the total 
cost due to the various items of cost. Column 2 shows that the total 
cost increased from $11.21 in 1914 to $19.25 in 1919. The total cost, 
as given in column 2, is the sum of the total factory cost in column 3 
and selling expense in column 7. Column 3 shows that the total 

71 








































72 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

factory cost increased from $10.61 in 1914 to $18.63 in 1919. This 
increase is in practically the same ratio as the total cost, since the sell¬ 
ing expense during the different years was practically uniform at 
between $0.60 and $0.71 per ton, as shown in column 7. Column 4 
shows that the material charge varied from $6.13 in 1914 to $10.68 
in 1919. The charge for material is the principal cost item entering 
into the total cost of ground barytes and amounted to between 55 
and 65 per cent of the total factory cost. Column 5 shows the labor 
charges per ton of ground barytes, which decreased from $1.30 per 
ton in 1914 to $1.08 in 1916 and then increased to $2.47 per ton in 
1919. Labor accounted for 8.5 to 13 per cent of the total cost. Col¬ 
umn 6 shows that the overhead expense decreased from $3.18 in 1914 
to $2.82 in 1916 and then increased to $5.48 in 1919. Overhead ex¬ 
pense was 22 to 29 per cent of the total cost. Selling expense 
was between 3 and 5.5 per cent of the total cost. * 

DETAIL OF COSTS OF GROUND BARYTES, BY COMPANIES. 

Table 34. —Cost of manufacturing ground barytes, by companies, during 191 If. 


[Per short toil.] 


• 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

5 

7 

Company No. 

Totd 

cost. 

Factory cost. 

Selling 

ex¬ 

penses. 

Total. 

Material. 

Labor. 

Over¬ 

head. 

1. 

$12.09 

$11.57 

$5. 65 

$1.88 

$4. 04 

$0.52 

2. 

10.51 

9. 88 

6. 43 

.74 

2. 72 

.63 

3. 

12. 49 

11.89 

6.16 

2. 13 

3.60 

.60 

4. 

11.74 

11.14 

5. 72 

2.08 

3. 34 

.60 

Weighted average cost. 

11.21 

10.61 

6.13 

1.30 

3. IS 

.60 


Table 34 shows the cost of manufacturing ground barytes by com¬ 
panies during 1914. Column 2 shows that the total weighted aver¬ 
age cost as reported by four companies during 1914 was $11.21 per 
short ton. The total average cost was made up of the following 
charges: $6.13 per ton for material, or 54.7 per cent; $1.30 per ton 
for labor, or 11.6 per cent; $3.18 per ton overhead charges, or 28.4 per 
cent; and $0.60 per ton for selling expenses, or 5.3 per cent. 

The total factory cost shown in column 3 is made up of the items 
material, labor, and overhead. The average factory cost of the four 
companies reporting was $10.61 per ton. Companies 1 and 2 were 
the only firms that reported selling expense (column 7). The 
weighted average of these two firms was taken as the average selling 
expense and substituted for companies 3 and 4 in arriving at the total 
cost in column 2 for these two firms. 




































COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 7b 

9 

Table 35. —Cost of manufacturing ground barytes, by companies, during 1916. 


[Per short ton.] 


.1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Company No. 

Total 

cost. 

Factory cost. 

Selling 

expenses. 

Total. 

Material. 

Labor. 

Over¬ 

head. 

].. 

$15.69 

$14.99 

$9. 63 

$1.11 

$4.25 

$0.70 

?. . 

11.49 

10. 77 

8.00 

.54 

2. 23 

.72 

3. 

12. 43 

11.72 

6. 28 

2.05 

3.39 

.71 

4. 

13. 24 

12. 53 

7. 58 

2.07 

2. 88 

.71 

Weighted average cost. 

12. 69 

11.98 

8.08 

1.08 

2. 82 

.71 


Table 35 shows the cost of manufacturing ground barytes by com¬ 
panies during 1916. Column 2 shows that the average cost of the 
four companies was $12.69. The average cost is made up of a charge 
of $8.08 for material, or 63.7 per cent; $1.08 for labor, or 8.5 per cent; 
$2.82 for overhead, or 22.2 per cent; and $0.71 for selling expenses, 
or 5.6 per cent. Column 3 shows that the total average factory cost 
was $11.98. The selling expenses as reported by companies 1 ard 2 
was $0.70 and $0.72 per ton, respectively. The weighted average of 
these two charges, or $0.71, was inserted as the selling expenses for 
companies 3 and 4, and was used in arriving at the total cost shown in 
column 2 for these two companies. 


Table 36. —Cost of manufacturing ground barytes, by companies, during 1919. 


[Per short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Company No. 

Total 

cost. 

Factory cost. 

Selling 

expenses. 

Total. 

Material. 

Labor. 

Over¬ 

head. 


$25. 61 
19. 07 
14. 51 
19. 54 

$24.73 
18.10 
13. 89 
19. 35 

$12.50 
11.59 
7.40 
10.74 

$3. 00 
1.26 
3.26 
3. 08 

$9.23 
5.25 
3.23 
5.53 

$0.88 

.97 

.62 

.19 




Weighted average cost. 

19.25 

18.63 

10.68 

2. 47 

5.48 

.62 


Table 36 shows the cost of ground barytes during 1919 as reported 
by four companies. The total weighted average cost (column 2) was 
$19.25 per ton. This total cost was made up of the following charges: 
$10.68 per ton for material, or 55.5 per cent; $2.47 for labor, or 12.8 
per cent; $5.48 for overhead, or 28.5 per cent, and $0.62 for selling 
expenses, or 3.2 per cent. The total factory cost, as shown in column 
3, averaged $18.63 per ton. During 1919 all companies reported 





























































74 BARYTES/BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

« 

separately a charge for selling expenses, with the exception of No. 3, 
which firm included selling under overhead. The weighted average 
of the three firms separately reporting a charge was inserted for 
company 3, and subtracted from that company’s overhead as reported 
and from total cost shown in column 2 to obtain the total factory 
cost. The average selling expense of the three companies reporting 
was $0.62 per short ton. 

Table 37 . — Details of overhead charged to ground barytes , 1919. 


LPer short ton.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Company No. 

Total 

overhead. 

Works 

expense. 

Fixed 

charges. 

Adminis¬ 

tration. 

1. 

$9.23 
5. 25 
3. 23 
5.53 

$7. 45 
2.29 
2. 92 
5.07 

$0.58 
2.54 

$1.20 

.42 

.31 

.46 

2. 

3. 

4. 


Weighted average...... 

. 

5.48 

4.03 


.50 




The detail in which overhead charges for ground barytes were re¬ 
ported varied greatly. Therefore the total overhead is the only 
fair basis of comparison between companies. The overhead during 
1919 as reported by the four companies manufacturing ground 
barytes is given in Table 37 in as much detail as was possible. 
Although not directly comparable by companies, the table shows the 
detail to which overhead was distributed. The total overhead as 
shown in column 2 varied between companies from $3.23 to $9.23 per 
short ton of ground barytes produced. 

Column 3 shows the total of the items charged to works expense, 
which includes such items of cost as operating and miscellaneous sup¬ 
plies, repairs, coal or electric power, packages, and other general 
plant expense. Works expense is seen to be the largest overhead 
charge, and averaged $4.03 per short ton, or about 70 per cent of the 
total overhead. Column 4 shows fixed charges as reported by only 
two companies. This heading includes insurance, State and local 
taxes, and depreciation. Only one firm reported a charge for depre¬ 
ciation. Column 5 shows administration expense as reported by all 
companies. This heading includes salaries for factory superintend¬ 
ence and office expense and salaries. Administration expense aver¬ 
aged $0.50 per short ton, or about 10 per cent of the total overhead. 








































Costs of Manufacturing Barium Chemicals, 1919. 

INTRODU CTORY. 

Before discussing the costs of barium chemicals the Commission 
desires to point out the lack of adequate cost-finding methods found 
to be prevalent in the barium chemical industry. The Commission 
does not wish to convey the impression that all companies manu¬ 
facturing barium chemicals do not keep accurate cost records, but 
a number of the firms engaged in this industry lack adequate methods 
of cost accounting, and the data obtained from the records of these 
companies are at best an approximation of the true cost. This con¬ 
dition may be accounted for by the fact that the industry was de¬ 
veloped under stress of war conditions, with emphasis on output 
rather than on economy of operation and on accurate cost records. 
Now that the industry is approaching more stabilized conditions, 
more attention should be given to cost accounting by those firms 
which now have inadequate methods. The Commission emphasizes 
the fact that some of the manufacturers of barium chemicals have 
adequate cost systems, and had this condition uniformly prevailed the 
cost investigation would have been greatly facilitated. From the in¬ 
formation available the Commission is able to present the following 
costs of barium chemicals, and believes that the costs given may be 
taken as representative of the industry. 

COMPARISON OF COSTS OF BARIUM CHEMICALS. 


Table 3S .—Cost of manufacturing barium chemicals during 1919. 

[Per pound.] 


Name of product. 

Manu¬ 

facturers 

report¬ 

ing. 

Total 

cost. 

Material. 

• 

Labor. 

Overhead and sell¬ 
ing expense. 

Cost. 

Per cent 
of total. 

Cost. 

Per cent 
of total. 

* Cost. 

Per cent 
of total. 

Barium carbonate.... 

3 

$0.0316 

SO. 0167 

52.9 

$0.0038 

12.0 

$ 0.0111 

35.1 

Barium peroxide. 

3 

.197 

.088 

44. 7 

.046 

23.3 

.063 

32.0 

Blanc fixe 1 . 

3 

.0294 

.0160 

54.4 

.0028 

9.5 

.0106 

36.1 

Barium chloride. 

4 

.0539 

.0218 

40.5 

.0109 

20.2 

.0212 

39.3 


1 Precipitated barium sulphate. 


Table 38 shows the weighted average costs of four barium chemi¬ 
cals_barium carbonate, barium peroxide, barium chloride, and blanc 

fixe or precipitated barium sulphate. This table also shows the 

75 




























76 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

total cost distributed to the three items—material, labor, and over¬ 
head. The Commission is unable to publish costs submitted on 
other barium chemicals without disclosing the costs of the one or 
tw T o firms reporting. The barium chemicals for which costs are 
given are, however, the most important, and include all barium chem¬ 
icals mentioned by name in the tariff act of 1913. The costs of these 
may be taken as representing conditions in the industry. 

It has been necessary, because of the form in which costs were 
kept by the companies, to combine overhead and selling expenses. 
In all cases selling expense is included, with the exception of one 
firm manufacturing barium chloride. Depreciation on plant and 
equipment is included in overhead where reported. A charge for 
depreciation was reported by all manufacturers of barium peroxide; 
by three of the four manufacturers of barium chloride; and by one 
manufacturer of barium carbonate. No depreciation was reported by 
manufacturers of blanc fixe. Other discrepancies in cost items are 
discussed under the variation in costs by companies. 

Table 38 shows that the total average cost for precipitated barium 
carbonate, as reported by three manufacturers, was $0.0316 per 
pound. This cost was made up of the following items: Material 
charge of $0.0167, or 52.9 per cent; labor charge of $0.0038, or 12 
per cent; and overhead and selling expenses of $0.0111, or 35.1 per 
cent. This table shows a total average cost for barium peroxide of 
$0,197 per pound as reported by three companies. Of this totals 
$0,088, or 44.7 per cent, was due to material charges; $0,046, or 23.3 
per cent to labor charge; and $0,063, or 32 per cent, to overhead 
and selling expenses. The total average cost of blanc fixe for three 
firms is shown as $0.0294 per pound. This total cost is made up of 
$0.0160 material charge, or 54.4 per cent; $0.0028 labor charge, or 
9.5 per cent; and $0.0106 overhead and selling expenses, or 36.1 per 
cent. The total average cost of barium chloride for 1919 as reported 
by four manufacturers was $0.0539 per pound. This total was made 
up of material charge of $0.0218, or 40.5 per cent; labor charge of 
$0.0109, or 20.2 per cent; and overhead and selling expenses of 
$0.0212, or 39.3 per cent. 

The barium chemicals in order of their cheapness of manufacture, 
as shown in Table 38, are blanc fixe, barium carbonate, barium chlo¬ 
ride, and barium peroxide. This order would be expected from a 
knowledge of the process of manufacture. Blanc fixe and barium 
carbonate, whose costs vary by only 0.22 cent per pound, are made 
from comparatively cheap chemicals, are precipitated as insoluble 
compounds, and require but simple operations, such as filtration 
and drying before marketing. Barium chloride, although made 
from a cheap material—calcium chloride—is a soluble compound 
and requires considerable heat for evaporation of solutions. This 


COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


77 


is reflected in a higher overhead charge than for blanc fixe and 
barium carbonate. Barium peroxide requires a higher degree of 
manufacture than any of the other barium chemicals. It is made 
from intermediate barium chemicals—barium carbonate or barium 
nitrate. Large quantities of heat are required for its manufacture, 
which is reflected in the largest unit overhead charge. Based on per¬ 
centage of total cost, however, the overhead for barium peroxide is 
less than for blanc fixe or barium carbonate. 

From a study of Table 38 it is seen that the cost of materials is in 
inverse ratio to the total cost of production. The percentage of the 
total cost due to material'ranges from 40.5 per cent in the case of 
barium chloride to 54.4 per cent in the case of blanc fixe. It is also 
seen that the cost due to labor is in direct ratio to the total cost of the 
various barium chemicals. The percentage of the total cost due to 
labor ranges from 9.5 per cent for blanc fixe to 23.3 per cent for 
barium peroxide. The percentage of the total cost due to overhead 
and selling expense is more nearly uniform than the other cost 
charges. This charge ranges from 32 per cent of the total cost for 
barium peroxide to 39.3 per cent of the total cost for barium chloride. 

VARIATIONS IN COSTS OF BARIUM CHEMICALS, BY COMPANIES. 

Table 39 .—Percentage variation in costs of barium chemicals, by companies, 

for 1919. 



Total cost. 

Material. 

Labor. 

Overhead 
and selling 
expense. 

Barium carbonate: 

Company N o. 1. 

101 

170 

66 

58 

Company No. 2. 

100 

100 

100 

100 

Company N o. 3. 

69 

108 

30 

52 

Barium peroxide: 

Company No. 1. 

135 

246 

49 

61 

Company No. 2. 

100 

100 

100 

100 

Company No. 3. 

92 

63 

174 

78 

Blanc fixe (precipitated barium sulphate): 

Company No. 1. 

181 

178 

178 

185 

Company No. 2. 

96 

139 

91 

37 

Companv No. 3. 

100 

100 

100 

100 

Barium chloride: 

Cnmnanv No. 1 ... . 

100 

100 

100 

100 

Cnmpany No. 2. 

86 

136 

54 

61 

Onmpany No. 3... . 

151 

255 

73 

104 

Pnmnanv No. 4. 

164 

91 

189 

212 







Table 39 shows by percentage the variation in the total cost and in 
the items of cost of each barium chemical by manufacturers. Be¬ 
cause of the few manufacturers of each chemical it was impossible 
to show the variation in costs by publishing the actual units. In each 
case the firm with the median total cost has been taken as the unit of 
100. The other costs are calculated as a percentage of this unit. As 
can be seen from Table 39 it is generally true that a manufacturer 


























78 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

who has the lowest total cost is not always low in all departments of 
cost. 

This table shows a variation in the total cost of barium carbonate 
from 69 to 101, or a difference of nearly 50 per cent of the low cost. 
This difference may be due to differences in process of manufacture* 
methods of treating by-products, or to individual plant and process 
efficiencies. There are two general methods used in the manufacture 
of barium carbonate. The one is to treat barium sulphide with 
soda ash, thus obtaining b}^-product sodium sulphide. The other 
method is to convert the barium sulphide into barium carbonate by 
means of carbon dioxide. This method does not give a by-product. 
The accounting method used in treating sodium sulphide may vary 
between manufacturers with a resulting reflection in the total cost. 
Sodium sulphide was uniformly treated as a joint product, and the 
raw-material charges divided between barium carbonate and sodium 
sulphide on an arbitrary basis. The basis of distribution of raw 
material, however, varied between the manufacturers. The method 
followed by each firm has been used in arriving at the total cost. 

The total cost of barium peroxide ranged from a low of 92 to a 
high of 135, or a difference of nearly 50 per cent of the low cost. 
The variation in the cost of barium peroxide may be accounted for 
largely by the difference in process of manufacture. It is produced 
by two methods, one using barium carbonate as the raw material 
and the other using barium nitrate. The difference in total cost is. 
reflected chiefly in the material charge which shows a difference be¬ 
tween the low and high of about 300 per cent. The company with 
the highest total cost had the lowest labor, while the firm with the 
lowest total cost had the highest labor cost. 

The total cost of blanc fixe varied from 96 to 181, as shown in 
Table 39. This is a difference of nearly 100 per cent of the low cost. 
In arriving at the total cost for blanc fixe in the case of one firm it 
was necessary for comparison to substitute an average material 
charge, which was the weighted average of the material charges re¬ 
ported by the other two manufacturers. From a study of the varia¬ 
tion of costs of blanc fixe, it is seen that the company with the highest 
total cost is the highest in all departments of cost. This is the only 
case where one company is the highest in all cost items. What has 
been said of the effect of sodium sulphide on the cost of barium 
carbonate, also applies to costs of blanc fixe. Some of the com¬ 
panies reporting blanc fixe costs obtain sodium sulphide as a by¬ 
product, while others produce blanc fixe by a process which does 
not yield sodium sulphide. These differences are necessarily reflected 
in total costs. 





COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


79 


The total cost of barium chloride reported by four companies 
ranged from a low of 8G to a high of 1G4, or a difference of about 90 
per cent of the low cost. Three of the firms use similar processes 
involving the direct production of barium chloride from barytes by 
reduction with coal in the presence of calcium chloride. The other 
firm reporting made barium chloride from an intermediate barium 
chemical. The difference in total cost, however, can not be accounted 
for wholly by differences in process of manufacture. It is interesting 
to note that the firm with the highest total cost had the lowest ma¬ 
terial cost, but had high labor and overhead and selling charges. 



Cost of Manufacturing Lithopone, 1919. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

The Commission’s investigation of costs in the lithopone industry 
was greatly facilitated by the fact that practically all companies 
kept detailed cost records. The methods of accounting used by 
the lithopone manufacturers were more detailed and in a more 
comparable form than those of the barytes and barium chemical 
industries. This may be accounted for bv the fact that the litho- 
pone industry is much larger, has been longer established, and is 
on a more permanent basis than the other industries. Although 
costs were shown in detail, there was considerable lack of uni¬ 
formity in methods of treating individual cost items. The out¬ 
standing differences were methods of handling raw material charges, 
methods of determining selling expenses, and treatment of ad¬ 
ministrative expenses. These differences are discussed fully in the 
following pages. 

In analyzing the cost statements on lithopone for 1919, and in 
comparing and presenting the cost data of the industry, the meth¬ 
ods used by the majority of the companies in distributing the 
charges have been followed as closely as possible. Wherever changes 
have been necessary in order to facilitate comparison, the}^ are 
explained in the discussion of the individual cost items. Where 
companies operate more than one plant and have reported separate 
costs for each, they have been tabulated as if for separate compa¬ 
nies. The costs for lithopone as shown represent 11 plants, oper¬ 
ated by 9 companies. Two plants did not report costs for the first 
quarter of the year 1919, and one plant presented costs for the last 
quarter only. The costs of these plants have been used as repre¬ 
sentative of the entire year. 

COMPARISON OF COSTS OF EITHOPONE BY QUARTERS. 


Table 40. —Weighted average cost of lithopone during 1919 hy quarters. 

[Per pound.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Quarterly 

periods. 

Production. 

Total 

cost. 

Material 

cost. 

Direct 

labor 

cost. 

Factory 

overhead. 

Selling 

expense. 

Average 

sales 

price. 

Apparent 

average 

profit. 

First. 

Pounds. 

24,613,042 

$0.0639 

$0.0264 

$0.0101 

$0.0239 

$0.0035 

$0.0709 

$0.0070 

Second. 

28,479,697 

.0573 

. 0254 

.0103 

.0191 

.0025 

.0633 

:ooeo 

Third. 

41,222,083 
48,204, 354 

.0574 

.0254 

.0112 

.0182 

.0026 

.0640 

.0066 

Fourth. 

.0623 

.0264 

.0111 

.0213 

.0035 

.0664 

.0041 

Year. 

142,519,176 

.0602 

.0259 

.0108 

.0204 

.0031 

.0667 

.0065 


4 


80 































COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


81 


Table 40 shows the weighted average cost of lithopone for all 
plants by quarters during 1919. The total average cost for all com¬ 
panies reporting, as shown, is the sum of the items—material, direct 
labor, factory overhead, and selling expense. This table also shows 
in column 9 the average profit for the industry by comparing the 
average gross selling price with the total weighted average cost. 

Column 2 show y s the production of lithopone by the companies re¬ 
porting costs during 1919, by quarters. These figures of production 
were used in obtaining the weighted average costs for each quarter 
and for the entire year 1919. The figures, however, do not neces¬ 
sarily represent total production of lithopone, because of the omis¬ 
sion of certain companies who did not report costs for the whole year. 
These figures show inactivity in the lithopone industry during the 
first half of 1919. The production as shown during the first six 
months was only 53,000,000 pounds, as against 89,500,000 during 
the last six months of 1919. 

Column 3 shows that the total weighted average cost of lithopone 
for all companies during 1919 was $0.0602 per pound. This average 
cost was made up of $0.0259 per pound, or 43 per cent for material; 
$0.0108 per pound, or 17.9 per cent for direct labor; $0.0204 per 
pound, or 33.9 per cent for overhead; and $0.0031 per pound, or 5.2 
per cent for sales expense. The distribution of the total cost of 
lithopone according to items of expense for the year 1919 is shown 
diagrammatically in Figure 6. Column 3 also shows that the highest 
cost for lithopone was $0.0639 per pound during the first quarter of 
the year. The cost during the second and third quarters was uni¬ 
form at $0.0573 per pound and increased in the fourth quarter to 
$0.0623 per pound. 

The material cost, as shown in column 4, is the actual unit cost of 
raw materials used in the manufacture of lithopone, as shown by the 
books of the various companies. The items making up material cost, 
as recorded by the various manufacturers, differed greatly. Some 
companies reported the basic raw materials—barytes, coal for reduc¬ 
tion of barytes, zinc, and sulphuric acid. Other companies reported 
the intermediate materials—barium sulphide and zinc sulphate— 
which are made from the basic raw materials given above. The rela¬ 
tion between the basic raw materials and the intermediate materials, 
barium sulphide and zinc sulphate, is shown in the diagram of-the 
manufacture of lithopone, Figure 4, page 55. In other words, by this 
latter method the companies carry separate cost accounts for the 
intermediate products, barium sulphide and zinc sulphate, and then 
charge these products at the actual cost of manufacture against their 
lithopone account as raw materials. Where this latter method has 


477°—20-6 



82 


BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 


been followed we have attempted to segregate the cost of zinc sul¬ 
phate and barium sulphide into labor, raw material, and overhead. 
This estimated segregation has been done by determining the per¬ 
centages of labor, raw material, and overhead by a study of the sepa- 



Figure 6 — Distribution 
Of Lit hor o nf. Cost - 1919 

^Average Cost — # Q.06OZ A PouNDJ 



G.R.n. 6-/7- to. 


rate cost sheets for zinc sulphate and barium sulphide and then ap¬ 
plying these percentages in distributing the charges for the zinc sul¬ 
phate and barium sulphide, as reported under lithopone cost, to raw 
material, labor, and overhead. The amounts due to labor and over- 











COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


83 


head hav e been deducted from the lithopone material charge and 
added to labor and overhead reported under lithopone cost. This 
method of distribution may result in slight discrepancies between 
indn idual cost items, but in no case has the total material charge, 
as reported by any company, been changed unless an offsetting change 
has been made in some other department of cost, so that the total 
cost for any company has not been changed because of this arbitrary 
method of allocation. Column 4 shows that the average material 
cost for all companies during the year 1919 was $0.0259 per pound 
of lithopone, or 43 per cent of the total average cost. This column 
also shows that the material costs followed the general trend of the 
total cost during the year, although there was only a difference of 
0.1 cent per pound between the material cost by quarters. The high¬ 
est material charge was $0.0264 during the first and fourth quarters, 
while the material charge for the second and third quarters was uni¬ 
form at $0.0254 per pound. 

The direct labor cost, as shown by column 5, is derived from the 
figures reported by the companies plus any labor charge resulting 
from the arbitrary allocation due to differences in reporting raw 
materials, as discussed above under column 4. Column 5 shows that 
the average direct labor charge for all companies during 1919 was 
$0.0108 per pound, or 17.9 per cent of the total cost. The direct labor 
charge was fairly uniform during the year, and ranged from $0.0101 
in the first quarter to $0.0112 in the third quarter. 

The factory overhead cost shown in column 6 is made up of the 
five general charges—works expense, bags and barrels, fixed charges, 
laboratory expense, and administrative expense. These units have 
been derived from the report as submitted by the respective manufac¬ 
turers, with the exception of those companies which reported interest 
on capital invested in inventory, building, machinery, and equipment, 
as a charge against lithopone costs. Where these items were given, 
they have been excluded in arriving at the total average cost of pro¬ 
duction. This has been necessary for purposes of comparison, be¬ 
cause these charges were not reported by all companies, and in 
many cases where reported they were not actual book charges. 
There have also been a few minor changes in overhead expense, as 
reported by companies, which was necessary because of the arbitrary 
allocation of material charges, as previously explained under column 
4 of this table. Column 6 shows that the average factory overhead 
for all companies during 1919 was $0.0204 per pound of lithopone, 
or 33.9 per cent of the total average cost. This charge ranged during 
the year from $0.0182 in the third quarter to $0.0239 during the first 
quarter. 


84 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

Column 7 shows the total selling expense charged by the various 
manufacturers to their lithopone account. Selling expense as re¬ 
ported showed considerable variation in regard to both the method 
of determination and the relative amounts which were charged. Sev¬ 
eral of the firms manufacturing lithopone have large sales organiza¬ 
tions which also handle other products. Some of these companies 
distribute the expense of the whole sales organization to the various 
products according to the value of the sales of the individual prod¬ 
ucts. Those companies making only lithopone usually charged the 
actual cost of sales. Two other methods were found to be used in 
determining spies expense. One is to charge a certain percentage of 
the selling price as sales expense; one firm using this method com¬ 
bines sales and administrative expense. The other is to charge a 
fixed sum per unit of lithopone produced as sales expense. In all 
cases, however, the amounts as reported by individual companies 
have been included in the total average cost of lithopone. Column 7 
shows that the average selling expense during 1919 was $0.0031 per 
pound of lithopone, or 5.2 per cent of the total cost. The selling cost 
ranged from $0.0025 in the second quarter to $0.0035 in the first and 
dourth quarters. 

In determining the average price received by all companies, as 
shown in column 8, the gross price received by each company has 
been used. This unit has been multiplied by the total production of 
each company and the aggregate for all companies divided by the 
total production of all companies. By this method the weighted 
average gross sales price has been obtained. In the case of the few 
companies not reporting gross sales price, these companies have been 
omitted in arriving at the weighted average for each quarter and 
the year. Column 8 shows that the average gross sales price during 
1919 was $0.0667 per pound of lithopone. In column 9 is shown the 
apparent average gross profit, obtained by subtracting the average 
total cost (column 3) from the average gross sales price (column 8). 
This estimated average profit during 1919 was $0.0065 per pound 
of lithopone. The profit shown during the year varied consider¬ 
ably—from $0.0041 in the fourth quarter to $0.0070 per pound in the 
first quarter. 



COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


85 


VARIATION IN COSTS OF LITHOPONE, BY COMPANIES. 


Table 41 .—Average cost per pound of lithopone during 1010, by companies. 


[Per pound.] 


l 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Plant No. 

Total 

cost. 

Material 

cost. 

Direct 

labor 

cost. 

Factory 

over¬ 

head. 

Selling 

expense. 

Average 

sales 

price. 

Average 
profit or 
loss (-). 

1. 

SO. 0529 

SO. 0248 

SO. 0058 

SO. 0203 

SO. 0020 

SO. 0649 

80.0120 

9 

. 0530 

.0258 

.0105 

.0151 

.0022 

. 0631 

. 0095 

3. 

.0574 

.0221 

.0124 

.0218 

.0011 

. 0616 

.0072 

4. 

.0586 

. 0230 

.0154 

.0166 

.0036 

. 0649 

.0063 

5. 

. 0609 

.0232 

. 0083 

.0228 

. 0066 

. 0660 

. 0051 

6. 

.0635 

. 0283 

. 0090 

. 0208 

. 0054 

.0687 

.0052 

7. 

. 0643 

. 0288 

. 0135 

.0201 

.0019 

. 0627 

—. 0016 

8. 

. 0653 

.0307 

.0211 

.0121 

.0014 

.0696 

. 0043 

9 . 

.0697 

.0251 

.0111 

. 0324 

.0011 



10.. 

.0744 

.0303 

.0095 

.0276 

. 0070 

.0714 

. 0030 

11. 

.0751 

. 0329 

. 0085 

. 0274 

0063 











'Weighted average. 

. 0602 

.0259 

.0108 

.0204 

.0031 


. 


Table 41 shows the cost of manufacturing lithopone by companies 
during the year 1919. This table also shows the average sales price 
received by each company and the average profit or loss of each firm 
with the exception of two companies for whom no sales price was re¬ 
ported. 

Column 2 shows that the total cost of the 11 plants ranged from 
a low cost of $0.0529 per pound of lithopone to a high cost of 
$0.0751 per pound, a variation of about 40 per cent of the low cost. 
A study of this column shows that there were only four plants with 
a cost lower than the total weighted average of $0.0602 per pound. 
Based on production, however, about 60 per cent of the lithopone pro¬ 
duced during 1919 was manufactured at a cost less than the average 
cost. The variation in costs between manufacturers is not in accord¬ 
ance with quantity production as might be expected. There are large 
producers represented in column 2 with high costs, and there are 
small producers with low costs. 

Column 3 shows the material cost per pound of lithopone as re¬ 
ported by various manufacturers. This column shows a variation in 
material cost ranging from $0.0221 to $0.0329 per pound. The plant 
with highest material cost has the highest total cost, but the plant 
with the lowest material cost is not low in total cost. Six firms re¬ 
port a material cost below the average of $0.0259 per pound. 

Column 4 shows the direct labor cost per pound of lithopone. 
This charge ranged from $0.0083 to $0.0211 per pound, a difference 
of 150 per cent of the low cost. Six plants show a direct labor cost 
below the average cost of $0.0108 per pound. The difference in labor 
















































86 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

cost between the various manufacturers may be accounted for 
largely by design and equipment of plant. Although not all litho- 
pone plants were visited by representatives of the Commission, those 
visited, which appeared to be well designed and utilized labor-saving 
devices wherever possible, uniformly show a low labor cost per 
pound of lithopone. There appears to be opportunity for plants 
with a high labor cost to lower their total cost of lithopone by a 
greater use of labor-saving devices and better design of plant. 

Column 5 shows that the factory overhead per pound of lithopone 
ranged from a low cost of $0.0121 to a high cost of $0.0324. This is 
a difference of $0.0203 per pound, or about 165 per cent of the low 
cost. Five plants show a factory overhead charge lower than the 
average of $0.0204 per pound. 

Column 6 shows the selling expense per pound of lithopone as re¬ 
ported by the different manufacturers. This charge ranged from 
$0.0011 to $0.0066 per pound of lithopone or a variation of 500 per 
cent of the low cost. This variation in selling expense is greater 
than for any other item of cost shown. Six plants show a selling 
expense lower than the average of $0.0031. 

Column 7 shows the average net sales price received by each plant, 
with two exceptions. The average net price received for all sales 
during 1919 ranged from $0.0631 per pound to $0.$714per pound, a 
variation of $0.0083 per pound. The sales price as shown in column 
7 is not a quoted price on lithopone, but is the actual average net 
price received by each firm for sales during 1919; freight, discounts, 
and commissions have been deducted. 

Column 8 shows the-average profit or loss by companies represented 
by subtracting the total cost (column 2) from the average sales price 
obtained (column 7). As previously stated, interest on capital in¬ 
vestment was not included in arriving at the total cost, and therefore 
this factor has had no influence on the average profit or loss shown 
in column 8. This column shows that one plant lost $0.0016 per 
pound of lithopone, while the other plants made a profit ranging 
from $0.0030 to $0.0120 per pound. 


COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


87 


DETAILS OF MATERIAL COSTS. 


Table 42. Details of material cost compared by percentages with total factory 

cost of lithopone during 1919, by companies. 

[Costs are per pound. Per cent is of total factory cost.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

Company 

No. 

Total 

factory 

cost. 

Total 

material. 

Barytes. 

Zinc. 

Sulphuric 

acid. 

All other 
materials. 

Cost. 

Per 

cent. 

Cost. 

Per 

cent. 

Cost. 

Per 

cent. 

Cost. 

Per 

cent. 

Cost. 

Per 

cent. 

1. 

$0.0509 

$0.0248 

48. 72 

$0. 0086 

16.89 

80.0127 

24.96 

$0.0025 

4.91 

$0.0010 

1.96 

2. 

.0514 

.0258 

50. 20 

.0091 

17. 70 

.0112 

21.79 

.0027 

5.26 

. 0028 

5.45 

3. 

. 0563 

.0221 

39. 26 

.0067 

11.90 

.0100 

17. 76 

.0030 

5.33 

.0024 

4.27 

4. 

. 0550 

.0230 

41.82 

.0078 

14.18 

.0122 

22.18 

. 0023 

4.18 

.0007 

1.28 

5. 

.0543 

.0232 

42.72 

. 0053 

9. 76 

.0122 

22.47 

.0028 

5.15 

.0029 

5.34 

6. 

.0581 

. 0283 

48.71 

. 0085 

14. 63 

.0128 

22.03 

.0027 

4.65 

.0043 

7.40 

7. 

.0624 

.0288 

46.15 

.0068 

10. 89 

.0141 

22. 60 

.0040 

6. 41 

.0039 

6.25 

8. 

.0639 

.0307 

48.04 

. 0083 

12. 99 

.0149 

23.32 

. 0034 

5.32 

.0041 

6.41 

9. 

. 0686 

. 0251 

36. 59 

.0072 

10. 49 

.0139 

20. 26 

.0018 

2.62 

.0022 

3.22 

10. 

.0674 

.0303 

44. 96 

. 0075 

11.13 

. 0153 

22. 70 

.0041 

6. 09 

. 0034 

5.04 

11.. 

.0688 

.0329 

47.82 

. 0096 

13. 95 

. 0153 

22. 24 

.0034 

4. 94 

.0016 

6.69 

“WEIGHTED A V - 












ERAGE OF ALL 












COMPANIES. 












First quarter, 












1919. 

.0604 

.0264 

43.71 

. 0082 

13.57 

. 0125 

20. 70 

. 0032 

5.30 

. 0025 

4.14 

Second quarter, 












1919. 

.0548 

. 0254 

46.35 

.0077 

14. 05 

.0122 

22.26 

.0026 

4.75 

.0029 

5.29 

Third quarter, 












1919. 

.0548 

.0254 

46.35 

.0081 

14.78 

.0124 

22.63 

.0026 

4.75 

. 0023 

4.19 

Fourth quarter, 












1919. 

.0588 

.0264 

44. 90 

.0076 

12.93 

.0127 

21.60 

.0030 

5.10 

.0031 

5.27 

Year. 

. 0571 

.0259 

45.37 

.0079 

13. 84 

.0124 

21.72 

.0029 

5. OS 

.0027 

4. 73 


Table 42 shows by companies the detail of material cost compared 
with total factory cost. This table also shows the weighted average 
material charge for all companies during each quarter and for the 
entire year of 1919. The total factory cost as shown in column 2 
does not include sales expense and is the sum of material, direct 
labor, and factory overhead charges. The average factory cost for 
all companies during the entire year was $0.0571 per pound of litho- 
pone produced. This is a weighted average of individual factory 
costs ranging from $0.0509 to $0.0688 per pound. 

Column 3 shows that the total average material cost for the entire 
year was $0.0259 per pound, or 45.37 per cent of the total factory 
cost as shown by column 4. The cost of barytes, column 5, for all 
companies during 1919 averaged $0.0079 per pound of lithopone, or 
13.84 per cent of the total factory cost, column 6. The percentage of 
the factory cost of lithopone due to crude barytes is important in con¬ 
sidering a duty on crude barytes and its effects on the cost of 
lithopone. The average cost of the crude barytes as reported by 
8 of the 11 plants was $13.60 per short ton. With this information 
the effect of an increase or decrease in the cost of crude barytes on 
the cost of lithopone can be calculated. For example, a 10 per cent 
increase or decrease in the cost of barytes given above ($13.60) will 















































































88 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

cause an increase or decrease of 1.384 per cent of the total factory 
cost of litliopone. 

An average of 8 of the 11 plants for which costs were reported 
shows that 1.2 pounds of barytes were required for the production of 
1 pound of litliopone during 1919. 

Column 7 shows that the average cost of zinc materials for all 
companies was $0.0124 per pound of litliopone, or 21.72 per cent of 
the total factory cost as shown in column 8. Zinc is seen to be the 
most expensive material entering into the cost of litliopone. Column 
9 shows that the average cost of sulphuric acid per pound of litho- 
pone for the year was $0.0029, or 5.08 per cent of the total factory 
cost as shown in column 10. Column 11 shows all other materials 
entering into the manufacture of litliopone. Under this heading is 
included coal used in reduction of barytes and various minor chemi¬ 
cals used principally in the purification of zinc liquor before it is 
used to make litliopone. The average cost of all other materials for 
1919 was $0.0027 per pound of litliopone, or 4.73 per cent of the fac¬ 
tory cost as shown in column 12. 

It should be pointed out that the variation by companies of a given 
material cost per pound of litliopone and the percentage of factory 
cost do not necessarily follow each other. One firm may show a low 
unit cost for a given material, but the percentage of factory cost due 
to that material may be higher than the percentage shown by another 
firm with a higher unit cost. 


DETAILS OF FACTORY OVERHEAD CHARGES. 

Table 43 .—Details of factory overhead compared by percentages with total 
factory cost of lithopone during 1919, by companies. 


[Costs are per pound. Per cent is of total factory cost.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 • 

6 

7 

8 

9 


Total 

Total factory 
overhead. 


Details of factory overhead. 


Plant No. 

factory 



Works 

Bags and 

Fixed 

Labora- 

Admin- 



Cost. 

Per cent. 

expense. 

barrels. 

charges. 

tory. 

istration. 

1. 

SO.0509 

$0.0203 

39.89 

$0.0147 

0) 

SO.0015 

0) 

$0.0041 

2. 

.0514 

.0151 

29.38 

.0062 

SO.0016 

.0031 

$0.0001 

.0041 

3. 

.0563 

.0218 

38.72 

.0147 

.0019 

.0029 

.0002 

.0021 

4. 

.0550 

.0166 

• 30.18 

.0099 

.0013 

.0034 

.0003 

.0017 

5. 

.0543 

.0228 

41.99 

.0155 

.0023 

0039 


0011 

6. 

.0581 

.0208 

35.80 

.0163 

.0021 

.0004 

.0006 

.0014 

7. 

.0624 

.0201 

32.21 

.0141 

.0018 

.0034 


0008 

8. 

.0639 

.0121 

18.93 

.0097 

.0024 

0) 

(i) 

(i) 

9. 

.0686 

.0324 

47.23. 

.0302 

.0016 

0005 

0001 


10. 

.0674 

.0276 

40.95 

.0214 

.0025 

.0009 

. .0007 

.0021 

11. 

.0688 

.0274 

39.83 

.0221 

.0026 

.0009 

.0006 

.0012 

WEIGHTED AVERAGE 









OF ALL COMPANIES. 









First quarter, 1919... 

.0604 

.0239 

39.57 

.0168 

.0016 

.0025 

.0002 

.0028 

Second quarter, 1919. 

.0548 

.0191 

34.85 

.0126 

.0012 

.0025 

.0002 

.0026 

Third quarter, 1919.. 

.0548 

.0182 

33.22 

.0124 

.0016 

.0018 

.0002 

.0022 

Fourth quarter, 1919. 

.0588 

.0213 

36.22 

.0153 

.0020 

.0018 

.0003 

.0019 

Year. 

.0571 

.0204 

35.73 

.0142 

.0016 

.0021 

.0002 

.0023 


1 Not shown separately but is included in works expense. 












































COSTS OF PRODUCTION. 


89 


Table 43 shows the details of factory overhead compared with total 
factory cost of lithopone during 1919 by individual plants. This 
table also shows average factory overhead charges for all companies 
during each quarter and for the entire year of 1919. The total factory 
cost and factory overhead per pound of lithopone by companies have 
been discussed in the preceding pages. 

Column 4 shows that the average factory overhead of all plants 
during 1919 was 35.73 per cent of the total factory cost. It should be 
pointed out at this point that since some, of the plants do not show 
factory overhead in the same detail as shown in this table by columns 
5 to 9, the total factory overhead is the only fair basis of comparison 
between plants. Although in many cases the units under detail of 
factory overhead can not be used for direct comparison, the table 
shows the variation in the detail to which the various plants dis¬ 
tribute their overhead expense. 

Column 5 showing works expense includes such items as indirect 
labor, fuel, power, light, and general factory expense. The average 
works expense for all companies was $0.0142 per pound of lithopone. 
The costs given under bags and barrels, column 6, is for packages of 
any kind. Only one plant did not report a separate charge for this 
item, but included it in works expense. This item is small and fairly 
uniform for all companies. The average cost for packages during the 
year was $0.0016 per pound of lithopone. 

Fixed charges, column 7, include items of expense such as insur¬ 
ance, depreciation, and State and local taxes. In all cases but one the 
charge reported is an actual expense and not an estimated one. One 
firm included fixed charges in works expense. The average of all 
plants reporting such charge for 1919 was $0.0021 per pound of litho¬ 
pone. Column 8 shows the expense due to maintenance of a chemical 
laboratory. This charge was shown separately by seven plants. In 
all cases the charge for laboratory was small. 

Administration charges as shown in column 9 represents salaries 
paid to executives and general office expense. The charges vary 
greatly with the size of the organization, but as the charge is rela¬ 
tively small it has little effect on the total cost of lithopone. The 
methods used by various companies in arriving at administrative 
expenses are practically the same as the methods used in determining 
sales expense, namely, actual expense, percentage of sales price, or a 
fixed sum per unit of product. 


90 BARYTES, BARIUM CHEMICALS, AND LITHOPONE. 

DETAILS OF SPECIAL CHARGES. 

Table 44. —Details of special charges per pound of lithopone, by companies, 

during 1919. 


[Per pound.] 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Company No. 

Total of 
special 
charges. 1 

Deprecia¬ 

tion. 

£ 

Interest on 
borrowed 
money. 

Imputed 

interest. 2 

1. 

SO. 0015 
.0016 
.0027 
.0026 
.0040 
.0003 
.0032 

$0.0015 

.0016 

.0027 

.0020 

.0033 

.0003 

.0022 



2. 



3. 


$0.0021 

4. 

$0.0006 
.0007 

5. 

.0021 

C.‘. 

7. 

.0010 


8.. 


9. 

.0005 

.0009 

.0009 

.0005 

.0009 

.0009 



10. 



11. 



Weighted average. 



.0018 

.0017 







1 Total special charges included in total factory overhead. 

2 Imputed interest not included in costs of lithopone production. 


Table 44 shows the detail of special charges per pound of lithopone 
during 1919 by companies. The total special charges in column 2 
were included in total factory overhead. The total average special 
charges were $0.0018 per pound of lithopone and ranged by com¬ 
panies from no charge to a charge of $0.0040 per pound. 

Imputed interest or interest on capital invested in inventories, 
buildings, and equipment, as shown in column 5, was not included 
in the total cost of lithopone. It is given here to show that it was 
considered a cost by two plants. 

Depreciation shown in column 3 is on buildings and equipment. 
Generally the depreciation is a certain percentage of the investment in 
buildings and equipment and ranges from 1 to 15 per cent. In one 
case the depreciation is figured as a percentage of the appraised value. 
In another instance depreciation was not included as a current cost, 
but was charged to profit and loss at the end of each fiscal year. 
In some cases a uniform rate of depreciation was applied to both 
building and equipment, while in other cases a different rate was 
applied to buildings than to equipment. As shown in column 3, 
depreciation is the chief special charge and averaged $0.0017 per 
pound of lithopone for 1919. Column 4 shows that interest on bor¬ 
rowed money was charged against lithopone costs by three plants. 
This has been included in the total cost. 


O 











































1 
















' V- 

,' \ ; e - v 

• . > ■ . . - . ' ... . ■■ t V - 









, -i ’ • • - >, ^ 






If L 

1 

n ■ 

... ' 




ft 










• ' 4 • . - -■ 

| l X 

r • 


F; ;• «• * 

> ’ ■ ' 


Jj ' ' l t " . 

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